Her
by Carrie S
Summary: When you don't know the whole picture, it's easy for your vision to get skewed. Will a complex misunderstanding destroy the friendship between two brothers? Raph and Mike centric. As of 43007: I'M BAAAAAAAAAAACK! This fic is NOT abandoned!
1. A Chance Encounter

**Author's Note: **Yes, you had better believe it folks! This fic is back! I have learned some nifty magic skills, such as the power to bring fics back from the dead and breath life into them once more. Let's just say that between the end of high school and college, my life was completely up in the air in a bit of a semi-crisis, and I just had no energy and inspiration to write. But now I'm back, alive and kicking, and I plan to see this baby to the end. I told you all I would finish it! So in part to help ease myself back into this whole process and to remind you all of what's happened, I'm going to be reposting this chapter by chapter until I get where I am now. I'll edit/change a few small things here and there to make it better, clean up spelling/grammar errors, but nothing major. Yeah, yeah, I can hear you all saying, "oh she's just giving herself more time to write the next chapter." Heh, heh. Well, if you've waited this long, I hope you all won't mind waiting just a little bit longer! Thanks to all for your death threats, bitching, and encouragements. I had no idea so many people had so much enthusiasm and interest for this story! Many, many thanks to sss979 for being the original beta/mastermind for the majority of this story. I don't know where this would be without her. And if you haven't already, you should definately check out all her work, because it's some of the best stuff ever written in the fandom. Also... muchos, muchos, muchos gracias to Splinter for offering to beta/help with the rest of the fic... this wouldn't be continuing without you, Splinter! Everyone needs to read all of her work too, if you haven't. I hope this will live up to everyone's expectations!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters related to the TMNT, so please don't sue me. All other human characters besides April and Casey, Shredder, and the foot are mine, so please ask if you want to borrow them. Thanks.

**Prologue**

**RAPHAEL:**

"Raph?"

Oh, damn him. But I guess I knew it was coming. I'd stayed out all last night, and all morning as well. So much for early morning practice. It was almost one in the afternoon now, and I had just returned. Would've been really nice if I could've gotten to my room without running into him. Ninja stealth did not work this time, though. I had been heard, if not seen.

"That you?"

Who _else_ would it be? The ever-present rhetorical question… and the beginning of just about _every _lecture. Damn it, I did _not _feel like talking to him right now.

I could hear his footsteps in the hall. They stopped at my door. He wouldn't knock. Of _course_ he wouldn't. He'd just push it open and come on in. Why not? I mean, I had no reason _not _to want him inviting himself into my bedroom whenever he damn well pleased, right? I gave a low growl as the door swung open. What do you know, I was right. There was no place I could go to get away from him and his goddamn lectures. I knew it, but I wasn't going to let him back me up against the wall, and this was a confined space.

"I don't wanna talk to you, Leo," I informed him, as if he didn't already know that. I pushed past him and headed for the living room. Maybe I'd be lucky and Mikey or Don would be there. Leo had a tendency to tone it down when our brothers were present. Maybe I'd be very _unlucky_ and Splinter would be there. But no, the room was empty.

"When will you listen, Raphael? When it's too late?"

"We are not having this conversation right now, Leo," I growled. I found myself instinctively heading toward the door again, in the mood to do _anything_ but fight with my brother. An argument was inevitable if this discussion went on much longer.

"You have no right to just walk out of here again, Raphael…"

I had opened the lair door by this time, my fists clenching and unclenching in my frustration.

"Oh yeah?" I challenged. "You just watch me."

I didn't give him a chance to answer. Why bother? I already knew what he was going to say. But before he had a chance, I was gone and the door had been slammed in his face.

"Don't even bother coming back then!" his voice echoed through the tunnel as he threw the door open and stuck his head out. I couldn't see him. I was already walking away. "To hell with you…"

The door slammed again. I continued walking. Those statements didn't mean anything to me anymore, and I had learned to ignore them. A few years ago, I would have been deeply affected by them, but now he said them so often that I had just learned to tune them out, along with everything else he said.

I sighed as I climbed the ladder to the surface. I had nowhere to go. I'd spent half the night at the bar, the other half busting heads of the so-called criminal element in New York City. I was sick of both. I pushed up on the heavy lid, and slid it aside. It scraped softly on the pavement. Years of experience had taught me how to get these things off without causing a scene. I poked my head into the alley, looking for an audience. No one here. Good. I climbed the last few rungs and replaced the sewer lid.

I stood for a moment in the alleyway, debating, running over my options. I could go see April. _Oh, yeah Raph. _That's_ a good idea. Why not just put her in the middle of _every _fight you have with your brother. Not like you don't do _that _enough already!_

Okay, okay. Bad idea. I considered Casey, but he was out of town. The idea of the smoke-filled bar was quickly abandoned. I wasn't in the mood for that. I looked up, to the fire escape and the rooftops that stretched to the sky. That was always an option.

It was a feeling a lot like flying. If you ran fast enough. Of course, there were always plenty of things to dodge, and that got in the way of speed. But then, the feeling of being airborne, just those few seconds between buildings… Since I was thirteen, it had been the perfect way to release all of the pent up energy and frustration. It always seemed to work. It was as if nothing existed up here. Just me, the sky, and the rooftops. No fights, no lecturing, no responsibilities. Just total freedom.

I'd been running across the rooftops until well into the evening when I heard something as I flew over the alley. Something that didn't quite fit in the peace that was up here. Actually, I think I _felt _it more than heard it. Danger. Evil. A threat. I slowed, then stopped. I stood there for a moment, debating on whether or not I cared enough to get involved. Finally, I sighed. Of course I did. It was my _job _after all. And maybe the only thing in the _world _I was good for. But I couldn't help but cast a longing glance over my shoulder at the endless abyss that made up New York.

I moved to the end of the roof and squinted into the darkness, trying to make out the scene. Shadows moved over the figures. Five of them. No, six. One was pressed against a wall. It was that figure that caught my attention. All the others were just faceless street thugs. My eyes ran over her quickly, drinking in every detail I could manage in the dim light from the street. They were pretty far back in the alley, so I didn't have much to work with.

Dark hair, white skin. I couldn't see what color her eyes were. Gloved hands clutched a black purse to her chest. She had on a black overcoat, but underneath that I could make out a dress. Not just any dress. It looked pretty formal. Dark colored, maybe green or blue. High heels. Shit, what was she doing walking around the city streets like that? Especially around here? That was _asking _for trouble.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing in this part of town?"

Uh huh. My thoughts exactly.

"That's none of your business. Now if you'll excuse me…"

She tried to run through a gap in the circle. Stupid move. Not that she had a choice. Stay against the wall and let them move in on you, or move to them. Either way, the two forces would come together. But the fact that she chose to run, to take her safety into her own hands, rather than, say, scream at the top of her lungs… that struck me. This girl was going to put up a fight. She wasn't passive.

I watched in amusement, resting my chin on the palm of my hand. She wasn't going to get far. But I wondered, with her decision to stand up for herself, how far she was prepared to go on her own. I knew I could be down in the alley in about two seconds if they actually made a move to hurt her. As I'd half-expected, she tripped over her heels. Running with spikes on the back of your feet couldn't be an easy task. Why didn't she just kick them off? Maybe they were strapped on. She almost fell, but one of the thugs caught her.

"Oh?" he smirked. "Well, looks like it just became our business. Better tell us, sweet cakes."

She glared at him. "You know, it's been real nice talking to you. But I gotta go."

I admired her spirit, although she had a thing or two to learn about city smarts. She tried to break away from the thug. I smiled to myself. What did she think? That he'd just let her go and bow politely as she walked away? Yeah. Right. She wasn't going anywhere with that firm grip he had on her arms. She realized it, and _then_ she screamed.

"Get the…"

"… hell outta here," I finished loudly, dropping to the ground a few feet away. He never finished his sentence. They all looked toward me. I knew they couldn't see me. Yet. If they didn't heed the warning, they were going to see more of me than they wanted to… just before they saw the backs of their eyelids for a good long time.

They advanced. I reached for my weapons as they found theirs. Knives. Good. As long as they weren't packing heat, I wasn't in any danger. "Just leave her alone," I snarled. "Don't make me kick your asses."

"You talk big," one of them growled. He looked like the leader of the group, the one who had been doing all the talking before. The girl struggled again, but she was held fast. "Whaddaya gonna do about it, huh, tough guy?"

I grinned evilly. City punks could be so stupid. They didn't know who they were messing with now. Their knives glinted in the pale moonlight. I drew my sais and held them in front of me, low and relaxed.

"Don't make me kill you," I threatened, my voice low.

"Oh, I'm so scared!" he grinned back. He turned around to his crew. "Hey, guess what boys? It's the devil himself!" The thugs snickered at this. _Irony,_ I thought. _How sweet. Too bad they didn't know how right that was…_

I let them come to me. And as they got closer, they froze. "Holy shit!"

I smiled pleasantly at them. "Uh huh," I agreed as I took a few, slow steps forward. They backed up, tripping over each other.

"You _really_ don't want me to use these," I warned flicking the sais back and forth carelessly, allowing the tips to gleam in the dim lamplight.

"Let's get outta here," the thug leader ordered, his voice shaking slightly.

"Good," I grinned, "that's what I like to hear."

The thug who had been holding the girl threw her to the alley floor, and then they all turned and sprinted, falling over each other in their rush to get away from me.

"You haven't seen the last of us!" one called out boldly before they disappeared from sight.

I laughed to myself. _You better hope you've seen the last of me. _

I glanced at the figure on the ground. She didn't move. Concern jolted through me. Was she alright? They hadn't hit her or anything… I knew I should go, before I was seen. But I also knew I had to make sure that she was alright. I couldn't just leave her there. And even if she was fine, leaving her to walk the rest of the way to wherever she was going, in high heels and a dress, was comparable to homicide. I could trail her, just to make sure she got home okay. But she wasn't _moving_.

I gave her a few seconds, hoping she'd get up. She didn't. Finally, I headed over to her. A thin trickle of blood ran from her forehead. She'd hit her head when she fell. Nice. I shook her gently, and sighed. I couldn't just leave her here, and I didn't know where to take her. There was no way in _hell _I was taking her back to the lair. That would go over real well…

She moaned slightly and turned her head to the side. "Hey," I called softly. "Hey, you okay?"

"Mmm…"

She cringed. I knew this was my last chance to get out of here without being seen. But she _was _hurt. Her eyes opened slightly, then flew open in surprise. "Shit!"

I let her go, and she scrambled to get away. That was my cue. I turned and within three seconds, I was half-way up the fire escape. "No, wait!" she called after me. I froze, but didn't look back. "I didn't… mean that. Please…"

I turned, cautiously. She was struggling to get up. But in the middle of the alley, on heels, with one foot that looked like it was hurt, it was a trick. I started back down the steps, moving silently. She gasped when she looked up and saw me standing in front of her. I tensed. Maybe this was a mistake. She bit her lip. "You… uh…"

She was still trying to find an easy way to maneuver her way to her feet. I held out my hand. She looked up and for a moment, just stared. Then, hesitantly, she offered me a gloved hand. Velvet. She _was _dressed up. I pulled her to her feet easily and she nearly fell forward, trying to regain her balance on one leg. Her hands went to my shoulders instinctively.

"You okay?" I asked again as she steadied herself.

"I think…" she mumbled. "Think I just twisted my ankle. Could've been a lot worse." She looked up, and our eyes met, and I was able to notice their color. They were a warm shade of blue. "Thank you."

I couldn't help but smile. "No problem."

She cringed and bit her lip, looking down. "Geez, I…" she stammered. She laughed cynically, more to herself than me. "I don't know how the hell I'm gonna get home."

"Where's home?" I questioned.

"About three blocks that way," she pointed. "I was actually…" She sighed. "Never mind."

"No, what?" I prodded. It wasn't every day that I had the opportunity to talk with someone outside of the family who _wasn't _drunk or high.

She shook her head, and looked away. "Just… rough night."

"Yeah, looks like it," I agreed. She was still holding onto one of my arms. I didn't think she could stand on her own. I _knew _she couldn't walk. Especially not in the heels. "Well," I started, "I can help you home or I can carry you… but since you're conscious now that might be a little awkward."

She laughed quietly, and looked down. I took her hand off my shoulder and held it as I knelt down to pick up her purse. I handed it to her. "Here."

She took it, a confused and curious look on her face. I didn't question her, just slipped under her arm, circling her waist. "Which way?" I questioned. "Or do you just want me to take you to a phone? You have somebody you can call?"

She sighed. "No. I really don't. But I… like I said, my apartment's about three blocks. If you… have time?"

Time was _right_. Those three blocks took nearly three _hours_ to conquer. But it gave me some time to find out a little about her. Not that I pried, but she offered information. Her name was Shannon, and she had been going home after a horribly failed date, which explained the dress and heels. She didn't live in a good part of town, and was having problem after problem at her apartment complex. She had just recently moved to Manhattan, and it was the only place she could find that was cheap. No family, or at least none that she cared to talk about. She wanted to talk about mine, though.

That was one thing I _wouldn't _do. I'd give her my name. Hell, I'd even give her my life story. But when it came to talking about my brothers... I shuddered as I considered the lecture that would come of this, if Leonardo or Splinter ever found out. And there would be more than a lecture. Hell, I'd probably be thrown out. Maybe even disowned.

When we finally reached her door, she stopped and turned to me, her arm pulling away from my shoulder as she fumbled for her keys. I considered my next move. "You wanna come in?" she invited.

I shook my head. It was almost midnight. Leo would, hopefully, be asleep by now, and I was exhausted. I needed to go home and crash. "No, but thanks."

She smiled as she opened the door and leaned back against the frame. She bit her lip. "I… I don't know how to thank you enough, Raphael."

I shrugged, very aware of how exposed I was. If anyone came out of their apartment and into this hallway… "Don't worry about it," I assured her. "My pleasure."

She took my hand and gripped it tightly. "Will I see you again?"

"You mean do I _want_ to see you again?" I asked, grinning. She smiled, but her eyes were serious. I brushed back a few strands of dark hair from her eyes and left my hand resting on her cheek. "Of course."

Without warning, she kissed me. Very chaste, very modest. Just a kiss on the cheek, but it still shocked the hell outta me. "That's what I wanted to hear," she said as she turned away and slipped through the door to her apartment. Before closing it, she turned to me. "Good night, Raphael."

I was still trying to figure out how I felt about this whole thing. _Leo's gonna kill you._

_Heh heh. Except Leo doesn't know._

_He'll find out._

_Shut up. What the hell do I care if Leonardo's pissed off? When have I _ever _cared if Leonardo's pissed off? Not like it's his problem, anyway. My life is _my _business. _

_Although he always manages to make it his_…

Finally, though, I smiled. "Good night, Shannon."


	2. For Honor

***Chapter One***

**Shannon:**

            Frustrating.  That was the only word to describe my brother.  Not that I didn't _love him, but he drove me crazy sometimes.  Like right now... in the middle of one of his endless speeches.  "I'm just worried about you." _

            Oh yeah, "overprotective" was another word for him.

            I leaned my head back against the wall, closing my eyes as I absently twirled my fingers in the phone cord.  Of course he was worried about me.  When was he _not worried about me?  "Look, Joseph, I'm a big girl, okay?" I sighed, pushing away from the wall.  I walked to the counter, swinging the long cord that trailed behind me.  "I can take care of myself.  I'm not as helpless as you seem to think I am."  I jumped onto the counter, dangling my legs a few feet off the floor.  "I'm a lot better off here than I was at home and you know it."_

            "You're not really that big, Shannon," he shot at me.  I could hear the impatience creeping into his voice.  "You _just turned eighteen."_

            I groaned.  "Joseph, _please...  Spare me, okay?"_

            This lecture was like an old movie I'd seen a few hundred times, where I could not only mimic every word, but I could put emphasis on the same _syllables as he did.  It was the same thing, every time.  __You're getting to the point in your life where you need to settle down, maybe finish your education, find yourself a boyfriend..._

            "You're getting to the point in your life..."

            I sighed.  It was only a matter of time before the conversation shifted to the _real heart of the problem.  I glanced at the clock, counting the seconds, not really listening to his rambling.  Finally, it came.  "I just want to make sure you're taken care of, Shannon."_

            I glared at nothing in particular, wishing he could somehow see the daggers coming out of my eyes.  "For your information, I'm _fully 'taken care of'," I shot sarcastically.  "Just because I left home doesn't mean I'm out here all alone in the world.  But thanks for the concern, Mr. I'd-help-you-but-I-don't-want-to-piss-off-Mommy-and-Daddy."_

            He hesitated, like I knew he would.  I hoped he'd just drop it, before I really got pissed off.  He knew I was right.  He had no right to lecture me like this when he'd refused to help me the one time I'd _needed his help.  Of course, he'd deny that.  "Circumstances," he'd say.  It wasn't his fault.  Maybe it really wasn't.  Maybe that was why he felt the need to be so damn protective of me now._

            When I'd first left home, I could've really used his support.  But he didn't offer to help me then.  In fact, he ignored my phone calls, e-mails, and pages.  Though he'd never admit it, I knew it was because my parents wanted me to fall on my face.  He didn't have the balls to stand up to them, didn't want to tarnish his golden boy image.  That was fine.  I'd survived.  But it sure as hell wasn't his place to make suggestions for my life now.

            "Alright Shannon," he sighed, giving up.  Thank God.  "I just want you to know that there _are people who care about you."_

            I hid my face in my hand.  "Drop it, Joseph," I warned, feeling anger stir.  _Don't you dare __patronize me.._

_._

_            "Well, I know you're independent, Shannon," he started, choosing his words carefully._

            I nodded slowly.  _Why don't you just go ahead and say it, Joseph? I thought bitterly.  __"I know you're dramatic and you like the drama of being alone in the world..."_

            "But I don't want to break my connections with you."

            I guess that was meant to be comforting.  As far as my parents were concerned, I'd dropped off the face of the Earth.  And in a way, it _was nice to know that if I were to __die in this hell hole, there was at least someone who would care.  But at the same time, I didn't want him fretting over me._

            "Thanks for your concern, Joseph," I told him, wanting to end this conversation before he got started again.  "Take care."

            "Until the next time, then."

            "Yeah."

            I hung up and stared at the phone for a moment.  His voice echoed in my mind.  _I just want you to know that there are people who care about you.  My parents sure as hell didn't.  They had only wanted one child.  That would be Joseph, my older brother by five years.  He was the golden, perfect son and the apple of my parents' eyes.  I was a mistake, and they never tried to hide that fact.  Unwanted and unloved, I could sense the fact that I was accidental at an early age.  Any other normal child would've tried their hardest to please their parents in any way possible.  Not me.  I was rebellious, defiant, and high –spirited, all qualities that my parents abhorred.  It made them hate me even more as I grew older.  By the time I got to high school, we were constantly at each other's throats.  The day I turned eighteen, there was no party.  No celebration, no cake and ice cream.  I declared my full independence and moved into my own apartment.  No surprise that I didn't leave on good terms._

            I shook the memories aside and walked into the living room.  For a few minutes, I stood still, staring at the ripped up furniture.  It was in bad shape, but it was _mine.  I made my own way, and paid for everything I owned with my own money.  I sat down with a heavy sigh and stretched my legs out in front of me.  I yawned and closed my eyes, placing my hands behind my head._

            I was half-asleep when a soft tapping got my attention.  I opened my eyes and turned my head to the big living room window.  A dark figure was on the fire escape, silhouetted by the moonlight.  I smiled, immediately knowing who it was.  I waved at him and he pointed to the lock.  I sat up and shot him a questioning look, teasing.  _What?  You mean you want me to unlock it?  He crossed his arms over his plastron and cocked his head to the side, shooting me a pathetic look.  I shrugged, like I didn't understand what he wanted._

            Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.  Yeah, right.  He hadn't gone far, and I knew it.  I stood and walked to the window.  Ever since that first night he'd walked me home, he insisted upon coming in this way.  He was afraid that someone would open their door and see him standing out in the hallway.  I guess I could understand that.

            I flipped the lock and backed away, leaning against the counter.  Even though I couldn't see him, I knew he was there.  I studied the darkness, and waited.

**Raphael:**

            I decided to make her wait for a while.  Let her think I'd left, if she wanted to play that way.  I smiled slightly as I clung to the shadows.  I knew she couldn't see me.  But I could see her.  I studied her for a moment, absorbing every detail.  Her soft, brown hair rested just above her shoulders, and her blue eyes were filled with a tired warmth.  She stood still for a moment, and sighed as she turned away.  Impatient tonight.

            She looked tired.  That was fine with me.  I wasn't really in the mood for games, either.  I'd spent the past hour and a half arguing with my brother.  Every day, it got worse.  Every hour, he got more and more overbearing and annoying.  I could never really hate Leonardo, but I sure as hell hated being around him lately.  There was no way to please him, and I was tired of trying.

            Shannon was sitting on the sofa again when I finally slipped through the window.  "Hey," I greeted.  She looked up, forced a smile, and gave a half-hearted wave.  "How are you?"

            She shrugged.  I leaned over her, my hands on the back of the tattered couch, my feet against the outsides of hers.  I could feel skin meet skin below her khaki shorts.  I stayed like that for a moment, towering over her.  "Y'okay babe?"

            She smiled again, genuinely this time, and put her arms around my neck.  She kissed me quickly and pulled back slightly, meeting my eyes.  When we broke, I turned and sat down next to her.

            "Want something to drink?" she offered.

            I shook my head, but said nothing.  I'd had enough to drink lately.  I needed to get away from the alcohol.  Ironic, since the whole idea of going to the bar was to get away from home.  That was what I was really running from.  I didn't want to be home, but I didn't want to drown myself at the bar, so I was here.  I didn't really feel like talking, though.  I hoped Shannon wouldn't press for conversation.  I just wanted to get away for a while, from everything.  And I knew this was the best place to do it.  Maybe the _only place._

            I tensed as I suddenly felt her hands on my shoulders.  She laughed quietly.  "Just relax, Raph," she whispered.  "This'll feel good, I promise."

            She massaged at the hard, sore muscles and I moaned involuntarily.  She laughed.  "You're so tight," she observed.

            I smiled faintly.  That was no surprise.  "Does that feel good?" she inquired.

            I breathed deep, taking in the faint scent of her perfume.  I could feel the tension slowly ebbing out of my body and I tilted my head away from her, providing her easier access.  "Mmm..."

            She worked quietly for a few moments and ran her fingers lightly over my skin one last time before she stopped.  I opened my eyes and turned to look at her.  Her expression was reflective, thoughtful.  "Shannon?" I prodded gently.  "You alright?"

            "Hmm?" she replied, snapping out of her trance. 

            I smiled.  "Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?"

            She sighed and looked away.  "I was just..." she started hesitantly.  "Never mind."

            "No, tell me," I pressed.

            She sighed.  "You'll just get mad and..."

            "You know I hate it when you do that," I interrupted her.  I reached over and cupped her chin, drawing her eyes back to mine.  "Just tell me.  I promise I won't get mad."

            She studied me for a moment, then sighed as she pulled away.  "It's just... I feel like I don't know anything about you."  Suddenly, I knew where this was going.  And I wasn't sure I liked it.  "You don't ever tell me anything."

            I sighed and leaned forward, hiding my face in my hands.  This wasn't the first time we'd had this conversation, and it wouldn't be the last.  But I didn't want to argue with her.  "Okay, fine," I relented.  "Ask me.  What do you want to know?"

            "Yeah, right," she smirked, distrustful.

            I grinned at her.  "No, seriously," I emphasized.  "I'll answer you.  What do you want to know?"

            She studied me for a moment, saying nothing.  I started to get a little worried.  What did she want to know that was so hard for her to ask?

            "I want to _meet your family, Raphael."_

            I groaned and stood up.  That wasn't a question, and it wasn't what I'd had in mind.  "Shannon, we've been through this," I sighed, feeling the familiar frustration resurface.  "Do we _really have to do it again?"_

            A hardened look crossed her face.  "And didn't I _tell you that you'd just get pissed off at me?"_

            I breathed deep.  "I'm not pissed at you, Shannon," I informed her.  "It's just... you've gotta understand.  My family is... different."

            I had never actually given her a reason as to _why she couldn't meet my family.  That was probably because I never had a reason to give her that she'd be able to understand.  I wasn't entirely sure that even __I understood it.  Maybe if I was someone else, it would all be different.  Maybe if I was Mike, if I wasn't under constant scrutiny, with Leo and Splinter both breathing down my neck and __waiting for me to screw up.  Maybe if I wasn't... __me.  Mike wouldn't think twice about bringing someone home.  And I was sure that if he did, anyone he brought would be accepted.  But I was different.  I couldn't expect approval.  And I didn't._

            All of my hesitations and personal issues aside, I didn't want Shannon to have to go through that kind of rejection.  They wouldn't approve of her anymore than they'd approve of me.  She wouldn't understand that, and I knew it.  I paced a few times, trying to think of a way to break this down into a language she might be able to grasp.

            "Do you believe in honor?" I asked.

            Her expression turned to one of confusion.  "What?"

            "Honor," I repeated.  _Man, if only Leo could see me now…_

            She rolled her eyes.  "Yeah, Raph, sure.  Honor.  What's your point?"

            "I was raised on principles of honor," I explained quickly, trying to keep my voice steady. 

            She stared at me.  "What's dishonorable about...?"

            "I know my family would not approve if I brought you home," I interrupted.  "Please don't ask me how I know.  I just do.  I am honoring them, then, by keeping our relationship a secret." 

            "Yeah?" she challenged.  "And what about honoring _me?  Are you so ashamed of me that...?"_

            "I'm _not ashamed of you, Shannon!" I shot at her, more forcefully than I meant to.  "I just..."_

            "You just _what, Raphael?" she cut me off.  "You just wanna continue coming over here and spilling all your problems all over my living room floor and not even give me the common courtesy and respect of..."_

            I could feel my blood begin to boil.  "Hey, Shannon, it's not like you've been real open and honest about _your family, either," I snapped at her._

            Her eyes fell and she was suddenly silent.  I immediately regretted my biting tone.  She sighed and her shoulders slumped.  I sighed and walked back over to her.  I knelt in front of her and took her hands.  "I'm sorry," I whispered.  "I just… please try to understand.  I come to you to get _away from my family.  Please don't try and make me talk about them."_

            She glanced up.  Tears brimmed her eyes and she brushed them away roughly.  "Yeah," she sighed.  She sounded exhausted, like she would say anything just to stop the fighting.  I smiled faintly at her.  "Please," I whispered, touching her cheek lightly.  "Let's just not talk about this.  It'll only frustrate us both."

            She forced a smile in return and placed her hand over mine.  She guided it across her lips and kissed my palm before draping her arms over my neck.  She sank to the floor, to her knees, and pressed her lips to mine.


	3. Images

**Author's Note:  **Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed!  They mean a lot to me.  I don't have much to say, except that definitely after this chapter, the rating for this story will be moved up to R.  That's all, and I hope you enjoy!

***Chapter Two***

**Michaelangelo****:**

**            I woke to soft thumping sounds coming from somewhere in the lair.  I wasn't quite sure exactly where they were coming from, but I had a pretty good idea.  It wasn't the first time I'd heard Leonardo at one in the morning, even though he wasn't particularly loud.  I'd never been really interested.   I tried to avoid that room at all costs, except during practice time.  Leo would probably eat and sleep in there if Splinter would let him.  He probably couldn't sleep either, and instead of wasting time lying in bed, waiting for sleep to come to him, he had just decided to go off to the dojo and get in extra practice.  Most likely, there was some challenging part in some kata he was working on, and he wanted to get it perfect for tomorrow to hear Splinter's praise.  But I couldn't help but wonder what he did in there, at night, and this time, my curiosity got the better of me.  I knew I wasn't going to be getting back to sleep anyway.  At least not in the near future.  **

            I slipped out of bed and made for the bedroom door.  As my feet made contact with the floor for the first time, I had to pull my them up at the sudden coldness of the hard floor beneath.  They were still used to the warmth of the bed covers.  I shivered, and my breath formed little clouds in front of me as I walked into the living room.  It was always cold down here at night, regardless of the outside temperature.  Hell, it was the underground sewer system after all.  It was cold pretty much all the time, except for during the summer.  Donny hadn't figured out yet how to get a heating system in this place.  But I had learned to be grateful for what I had.  My stomach let out a low growl, and I decided to go into the kitchen to grab a bit to eat before heading over to the dojo to spy on him.  

            I stopped briefly in the doorway to the kitchen, taking in everything.  At first, the place seemed quiet, but as I stood there, kitchen sounds gradually came to my attention.  The refrigerator hummed gently, and it seemed to be holding a rhythm with the soft tick of the clock which hung above it.  I moved over the smooth tiled floor to the fridge and opened the door.  I was almost blinded by the sudden intensity of the bright, white light.  Squinting my eyes, I scanned the shelves, looking for something to eat.  All I could find was some left over pizza from dinner, topped with extra cheese and vegetables.  That had been Leo's.  He always requested veggies on his pizza.  I grimaced, and I closed the door, not feeling very hungry anymore.  I decided to get a drink instead.  I opened one of the kitchen cabinets and grabbed a glass.  I turned on the faucet and filled it to the top.  The water hissed, angry that I had disturbed it.  I gave the faucet a mock glare as I drained the water, and when I was done, I tossed it onto the ever growing stack of dirty ones near the sink.

            I walked out of the kitchen and looked around the living room briefly before going to spy on Leo.  The living room furniture appeared foreign in the darkness.  I smiled as I childhood memories flashed across my mind  I had always been the most afraid of the dark when I was little, expecting the boogie man to jump up from behind the furniture and eat me.  I was teased to no end about this, especially by Raphael.  He'd never miss the opportunity to jump up from behind something and scream.  He scared me every time, and Splinter always punished him for it.  But he continued to do it, until we were too old to do that sort of thing.  Sometimes though, he'll still do it when I'm least expecting it, to see if it still gives me a scare.  Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't.  I never did get my revenge for all the childhood pranks he pulled on me, but he sure got his fair share of punishments for Splinter.  I laughed inwardly.  Raph always seemed to get punished so much more than the rest of us.

            I continued on my way to the dojo, and when I arrived, I pushed open the door silently, knowing I'd get a scolding if I disturbed him.  Surprise flew across my features as I realized who was there.  It wasn't Leonardo, the one I was expecting to see.  He never missed the opportunity to do extra practice.  But this wasn't our "ginsu master," our "fearless leader."  It was Raphael.  

            I watched him silently, not sure if he knew I was there.  He didn't acknowledge my presence, but I figured he _had to know.  I leaned sideways against the doorframe, arms crossed over my plastron and studied his slow, fluid movements.  He moved from one position to the next, eyes closed, not missing a beat.  I couldn't help but feel a little shocked.  He was good.  __Really good.  I'd never seen him execute his movements so... perfectly.  It was __flawless.  And he was doing advanced katas, more intense than anything he ever did during practice.  Splinter never __allowed him to do them, because he was never able to do the __basic ones correctly.   Or at least, we never __thought he could do the basic ones.  So how did he learn to do these in the first place?_

            Observation.  Purely through observation.  There could be no other way.  I was amazed.  He'd never been _taught to do this, he'd picked it up just by watching Leo.  And he __did look like Leo.  Maybe he was even __better than Leo.  He looked so relaxed, although I could feel his energy from across the room.  He wasn't operating in his usual half-assed, fast food manner that always drove __sensei, not to mention Leo, absolutely crazy.  _

            I couldn't help but smile.  I always knew he had it in him.  He wasn't as stupid and incapable as he acted.  He was just stubborn as all hell.  He wouldn't give them the _satisfaction of obeying them, and taking them seriously.  I kinda wished that I could record this, just to see the astonished looks on the faces of Leonardo and Splinter.  Leo would __really flip out.  With all the fighting he did with Raph...  _

            Raphael froze in place and I knew he was done.  I considered ducking back around the corner before he turned around and saw me.  He wouldn't like that I was spying on him.  I was still trying to judge his reaction to my presence when his voice cut through the silence.

            "You don't have to leave," he informed as he turned and stared straight at me.  I tensed.  "I knew you were there."

            I watched him for a moment, trying to determine if he was setting me up.  I didn't want to be the target of one of his infamous outbursts.  He relaxed his stance and grabbed a towel off the floor.  He wiped away the beads of sweat on his forehead. 

            "I wasn't sure if you saw me," I mumbled, cautious.  "Figured you would've stopped."

            He grinned slyly at me.  "Why'd you figure that?"

            I stared at him for a moment.  "Well with all the effort you go through to make everyone believe that you haven't got a clue, I didn't figure you'd want me to know that you can actually _do  those katas," I smiled._

            He didn't reply.  I watched as he headed over to the far wall and retrieved a bottle of water.  He drained it and let it fall to the mat again.  It landed with a soft, hollow thud.  The towel dropped beside it.

            "Couldn't sleep either?" he inquired.  I shook my head.  I was still slightly shocked by what I had seen.   And I wasn't totally sure what kind of reaction to expect from him.  I'd figured he'd be annoyed that I was here, but he wasn't.  Instead, he was smiling.

            "Pretty impressive, huh?" he asked, a touch of pride in his tone.  He approached me silently and leaned against the nearby wall, staring at nothing in particular in the empty, suddenly silent room.

            "Hey, Raph?"

            "Mmm?"

                "How come...?" I started.  I hesitated.  I wasn't exactly sure how to word this.  He turned and looked at me expectantly.  "How come you never do that for Splinter, or Leo? " I finally asked.  "I mean, you bitch about how they're always on your case... but if you just did that for them..."  He stared at me, and said nothing.  There was no reaction.  Was he waiting for more of an explanation?  "Why don't you just give them what they want?"

            He sighed and looked away.  "I mean, geez Raph.  It would be different if you _couldn't do it, like they think.  But if you __can, why do you fight with them?"_

            There was a moment of silence.  Then his eyes met mine again.  "It's not that simple, Mikey," he sighed.

            "Why not?"

            He was quiet for a minute.  "What would happen if I _did, Mikey?" he questioned.  "What do you think?"_

            I wasn't sure how to answer that.  It sounded like it might be a rhetorical question.  "I dunno, Raph," I admitted.  "But at least it'd get them off your case."

            "No, Mike, it wouldn't."

            I studied him carefully.  I could tell he'd thought long and hard about this.  His eyes were deep and sad.  "Why not?" I asked.

            "Because they'll _never be satisfied," he mumbled.  "Why am I gonna kill myself trying to be perfect when it doesn't make a damn bit of difference?"_

            I didn't have an answer for that.  I wasn't entirely sure I agreed with him, but I let him continue.  He sighed.  "Mike, we all have images to keep up, you know?" 

            I didn't answer right away.  I understood what he was saying, but I didn't understand what he was getting at.  "You know, I was always under the impression that you didn't _like the whole image that they put on you."_

            "No, I _don't like it," he agreed.  "But I can't change it.  I'm an asshole, jerk, psycho, angry, irresponsible, hotheaded, stubborn…"_

            "Yeah, yeah," I cut him off.  He could go on forever.  I'd heard it all.

            "You know me, Mike.  You know the image.  And we all have them.  Don's gotta be the genius, you've gotta be the goof off, and Leo's gotta be the perfect son.  He's gotta be the leader, the best at everything."  He paused.  "You realize what would happened if I was better than him at something?  Do you realize what would happen if I did good katas and exercises during practice?"

            I opened my mouth to say something, but he held up a hand to stop me.  "It's not fair, and I don't like it.  But we're all shoved into boxes with categories, whether we're aware of it or not.   And if any of us step out of that box, you know it'll cause problems."

            I considered that for a few minutes.  He looked up and our eyes met.  "I know you understand this, Mike," he sighed.  "I mean, what's happened when you've said something, _anything, that makes you sound like you have a brain?  Or when you haven't told too many jokes in one day, huh?  What's happened?"_

            I cut my gaze to the floor.  I didn't need to answer that, or he wouldn't have asked it in the first place.  "I'm not _allowed to change, Michaelangelo.  And neither are you.  And you know it."_

            I nodded, but said nothing.  There wasn't anything for me to say.  He'd made his point, as painful as it was.  I half-expected him to leave now, but he didn't.  We were silent again, but it wasn't really a total silence.  Raph and I spoke so much to each other without words, that there wasn't a need for the emptiness to be filled with talk all the time.  So the silence was comforting, and it was almost better to have that than a real conversation.  Besides, he'd given me a lot to think about.

            After a few minutes, he moved back over to the corner where he had dropped the empty water bottle and towel.  He picked them both up and slung the towel over his shoulder.  A moment later, he walked back to the door, passing me.  He stopped halfway through the living room, as if he'd forgotten something, and turned back to me.

            "Hey Mike, uh…" he began, his voice filled with uncertainty.  "I can trust you not to say anything about this, right?"

                I stared at him for a moment, surprised.  "Why?"

            "Just don't," he pleaded. "Don't tell anyone about this.  Please?  Especially Leo."

            I smiled faintly.  "No problem, Raph," I answered.

            "Thanks."

            "Although it _could be some good blackmail, couldn't it?" I grinned, acting as if I were deep in thought._

            I barely caught the towel that almost hit me in the face.

**Splinter:**

            The room was quiet and peaceful, but I felt as if a war was waging in my soul.  I could not lessen the concern that consumed me.  My thoughts were drawn to my son, and they stalled there, unable to focus on anything else.  He rarely spoke to me about anything anymore.  There was a time when he would trust me.  But now, he trusted no one.  He had closed himself off from the world.  I had never pressured him, but I was recently concerned.  Something was distinctly different about him.  He was even more distant from us, and spending more and more time away from home.  Distracted and distant, he offered no effort to his practices.  His sloppy, nonchalant attitude had earned a great deal of conflict between him and Leonardo.  I did not dispute with him, though I, too, was disturbed by the excessive amounts of time he spent away from home.  

            The candlelight flickered over the pages of the book, but I was not concentrating.  I heard the front door open and looked up to see a dark shadow outlined in the doorway.  He turned, and froze in his tracks as he saw me.  I beckoned to him.

            "Come and sit beside me, my son."

            He did not move immediately, but before I had a chance to ask again, he had moved quite reluctantly and hesitantly to my side.

            "What have I done wrong this time?" he demanded.

            Normally I would not accept such tones of disrespect, but tonight, I chose to ignore it.  Now was not the time to lecture him on how he should behave if I expected to get anything out of him.        "Well?" he pressed.  I could tell that my brief moment of silence was beginning to irritate him.

            I did not want to begin with an accusation.  I knew that if he felt he must defend himself, he would simply remain silent.  I wanted to speak with him, not to lecture, as he was expecting. 

            "Are you all right, my son?" I inquired.    "Fine," he answered simply.  He stopped and stared at me.  There was a moment of tense silence.  "That all?"

            I wasn't about to let him go.  "There is nothing troubling you?" I tried asking it another way.

            "I said I'm fine," he repeated, an edge to his tone.  "Nothing's wrong with me.  Can I go now?"

            I sighed.  "If there is anything you feel you have to tell me my son, please tell me now."

            He turned his head and let out a low growl.  "How many times do I have to _tell_ you I'm _fine?" he shot.  "You want me to say it in fifty languages?"_

            That was enough.  I tensed, fur bristling at his tone.  Well able to control my anger, I only glared at him.  He sighed deeply and hung his head.  "I'm sorry, _sensei," he whispered.  "But really, I'm fine.  Can I go to bed now?  Please?"_

            I felt greatly disappointed.  I knew that I could not force him to talk, but I had hoped that he would reveal where he had been these past few nights.  It was obvious that he was going somewhere, to escape.  And he did not return encased in the smell of alcohol.  He was spending his time elsewhere, but he would not speak of it.     "Master?" he asked, standing to his feet.

            I relented.  "Yes, Raphael.  You may go."

            He moved silently toward his bedroom.  "Raphael?"  He turned, and did not move.  For a moment I thought he would return my call with a smart remark, but he did not.  He waited, although I could feel his impatience.  "I would like you to treat me as you would a friend.  I would like you to talk to me."

            He stood there for a few moments, as if he were storing away my words.  Then he turned and continued on the journey to his room.  I sighed, releasing my disappointment.  I had not expected answers from him, but I still had held a flicker of hope.  Even now, that hope was not extinguished.  If something was drastically wrong, he still might come to me for help and guidance.

            With another sigh, I opened my book and continued to read as I waited for sleep to find me.


	4. Attack In The Night

Author's Note:  Thanks again to all you wonderful reviewers!  Here is the third chapter, and the main cause for the R rating.  I hope you enjoy, and if you didn't know it already, I love feedback, so R/R please!

*Chapter Three*

Shannon:

_"I go to you to get away from my family."_

Those words came to me at the strangest times.  This time, they woke me up out of a dead sleep.  I curled into a ball and pulled the blankets up to my chin, shivering a little in the night cold.  I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to force the words out of my head.  I still didn't know how I felt about them.  I wanted to believe that he really loved me, but sometimes it seemed as if he was just using me as an escape route.  Maybe it was a little bit of both.  Maybe he really did love me.  He said he did.  But that seed of doubt inside of me, the part that knew how superficial words were in and of themselves, was beginning to grow.  And there was really no way for me to know for sure.

I bolted upright as a soft noise echoed through the dark room.  It sounded like an explosion in the stillness surrounding me.  Frozen in place, I sat clutching the blanket to my chin, my eyes darting around like a scared rabbit.  I saw nothing in the pitch black room.  Even the vague shadows on the wall were still.  Maybe it had been Raphael.  It was rare for him to come this late at night, but it wasn't totally out of the question.  He did it sometimes, when he was fighting with his brothers, or if he was hurt and it was easier to get to my apartment than to crawl home.  I hoped he wasn't hurt.

"Raph?" 

Silence answered me.  Maybe it wasn't Raph.  Fear jolted through my body, shooting in a straight line down my spine.  Stop it, Shannon, I chastised myself You're getting yourself worked up over nothing.  It was just a noise from outside, on the streets, or probably in the alley. 

I forced myself to laugh at my paranoia, but I couldn't deny the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I lay back down, curling under the blankets.  If it was Raphael, I'd know soon enough.  But it was probably nothing.  I breathed deep, and felt the tension slowly ease from my body.

Suddenly, I was pinned.  For a fraction of a second, I thought it was Raph trying to scare me.  But I felt pain as strong hands gripped my arms, pinning them to my sides.  I gasped, too scared to scream, my fears confirmed as I realized what I already knew.  This wasn't Raphael.  He was rough, but he would never hurt me like this.  The dark, threatening eyes staring down at me did not belong to anyone I knew.

"You look pretty while you sleepin', baby.  But you woke up just in time for the fun."

Snickers followed his statement, and it was then that I realized that there was more than one.  My eyes darted around.  There were at least two other figures beyond the one that held me.  How did they get in without my hearing them?  I thought wildly.  Then, all of a sudden, I knew.  It struck me like a sharp slap in the face.  The balcony.  I'd been out there earlier, I'd probably forgotten to lock it.  

My muscles tensed, and it was suddenly hard to breathe.  I was terrified to think of what they actually wanted from me.  I was well aware of the fact that whatever it was, I wasn't going to like it.  I could only pray that they didn't plan on killing me when they were through.  Any way I looked at it, I was in trouble.  

I opened my mouth to scream, but a heavy, gloved hand fell down upon it, forcing the scream down my throat.  I gasped, and nearly choked.

"Nice try, girlie, but I wouldn't do that if I was you," my captor snarled.  I quickly understood why as he drew a blade from his pocket.  The tip gleamed in the darkness.  

I didn't breathe as the sharp edge touched my throat.  Then, everything happened at once.  He was gone, in a flash, to I wasn't entirely sure where he'd gone to.  I didn't care.  He was off me.  He cried out in surprise as he dropped to the floor.  Relief flooded through me, relaxing every muscle as I realized what had happened.  I was safe.  Raphael.  Thank god.

The two spectators backed away as Raphael wrestled in the pitch blackness with the one who had been holding me.  I sat up, clutching the blanket as I watched them struggle for the knife.  I could pinpoint the very instant that Raphael lost his patience.  Too fast for my eyes to see in a well-lit room, much less in the darkness, he jerked the man's arm back and pried the knife out of his fingers.  The thug cried out in pain as he was flipped onto his back, before he even had a chance to figure out that his arm was probably broken in several places.  They stared at each other, as the blade pressed to the suppressed figure's neck… and he got his first good look at Raph's face.

"Jesus Christ!  What the fuck are you, some kind of freak?"

That was the worst possible insult anyone could ever give him. Freak.  I flinched at the word.  It was so ugly, and I knew it would push him over the edge in a heartbeat.  He wasn't known for his patience.

"Your worst nightmare," Raph growled back, keeping a remarkably calm composure despite the words the thug had thrown at him.

The thug was genuinely scared as he realized that his life was possibly at stake.  I couldn't suppress a knowing smile as Raph put him on display, showing me exactly what he was.  Full of hot air under that bully exterior.  He was cowering visibly.

"Please, whatever the hell you are—spare me!"

I thought I almost heard Raph laugh.  "Yeah, I'll spare you.  Don't want to stain any carpets with your miserable blood," he snarled.  He pulled back, jerking the thug to his feet.  "But right now, you're gonna get up, and tell the lady you're sorry."  

I hid a smile, not that it would have been visible in the darkness.  It was as if he were finding amusement in this.  Now that the danger was obviously gone, I saw the humor in it as well.  "Uh," the figure stammered.  "Sorry."

"I'm not convinced," Raphael growled.

"I'm _really sorry," he corrected.  He looked like he was shaking._

"Good boy," Raph snarled.  "Now get the hell out of my sight, before I change my mind about leaving your dick attached to the rest of your body."

I watched as the thugs moved quickly toward the balcony, shoved the door open, and fell out in their haste to get away.  How thoughtful that they remembered to close the door behind them as they dashed down the fire escape.  I closed my eyes, let out a slow breath and fell back on the bed. 

"You alright?" Raph asked, the concern evident in his voice.  

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you," I sighed.

I sat back up as he advanced slowly and stood at the side of the bed.  "You're not hurt, are you?" he whispered.

I gazed up at him, overcome with gratitude.  Any doubt of my love for him vanished in an instant.  That was twice now that he'd saved my neck.  Twice that I owed him my life.  I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to repay him.  "I'm okay," I whispered.  "Thank you so much."

I noticed the lopsided smile on his face.  "You're welcome," he answered simply, a playful spark in his tone.  

_Why this formality?  I wondered, suddenly finding this whole situation absolutely hilarious.  It's not as if this is the first time we've met.  _

_He's playing with you, I answered myself.  __Geez, Shannon, get a clue!_

I smiled and threw my arms around him, pressing our lips together without warning.  I wanted to laugh at the obvious shock that made his entire body tense.  I didn't blame him.  I hadn't given him a chance to think about it.  He took a few seconds now, his lips locked with mine, then slipped his arms around my waist, pulling the blanket around me as his hands got tangled in it.  He pulled me close in a protective hug.  I'd never felt more secure in my entire life.  

I drew back slowly, and our eyes locked.  "Stay the rest of the night with me," I whispered.  "Please?" 

I didn't want to sound like a little girl, but some part of me felt a little unease about spending the rest of the night alone, even though I highly doubted that they would be back.

He hesitated.  "Uh, well…"

"Please?" I asked again.  I knew he was nervous.  I had never asked him to stay the night before.  I reached up and brushed the side of his face with the backs of my fingers.  "Please stay.  I want you to stay."

He stared at me, and finally smiled.  "Okay," he relented.  "But I gotta…"

I kissed him and cut him off.  For a moment, he resisted, but he relaxed as I draped my arms around his neck.  The blanket fell, and he pulled back in surprise as his fingers brushed bare skin.  I took his hand before he could withdraw it, and pressed it against me.  We stared at each other.  "Um," he whispered.  "You're not… like, drunk, are you?  'Cause I don't wanna…"

"I'm not drunk," I breathed back.  "I want this."

"You're sure?"

I guided his hand, and brought our lips together again, pulling him down with me onto the bed.

***

The sun was up.  I could feel its warm rays against my face.  Still only vaguely aware of my surroundings, I reached for Raphael.  The bed was empty.  My eyes opened, and I saw only a pile of blankets.

I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.  The sheet covering me fell, but I didn't bother to grab it.  I heard a voice from somewhere in my apartment, maybe coming from the kitchen.  Yes, that's where he was, right on the other side of the wall.  Probably close to the door from how close his voice sounded.  "No I really don't wanna talk to…!" he rushed, trying to get the sentence out as quickly as possible.

"Hi," he sighed.  He was on the phone, probably to his family. He was probably telling them some lie to cover up where he'd been, and to reassure them that he was fine.  I listened intently, and smiled as I realized that the person on the other line was speaking so loudly that I could make out his words.

"Yeah, just where the hell have you been all night long?" the voice demanded.  It had to be his brother.  I smiled, wondering what he would tell him, wishing I hadn't missed the first part of this conversation.

"Well, I…" Raphael stammered, caught without something to say for once.  "I was just explaining to Don, if you were listening…"

"And exactly when did they invent eleven hour movies?" his brother yelled.  I froze.  That voice sounded familiar.  "The theaters would all be fucking broke!" 

 Raphael sighed.  "Look, I just wanted some time to myself after the movie, alright?" I cocked my head slightly.  His tone was almost pleading.  I'd never heard him talk like that before.  "Last time I checked, that wasn't illegal.  And I don't see what…"

"No, you look," the voice cut him off.  I looked around the room, trying to reacquaint myself with my surroundings, looking for anything that could tell me what was going on.  Something wasn't right.  I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.  "You're not supposed to take off all fucking night long without telling anyone where're you're going.  That's my job.  And Splinter's pissed at you.  You missed morning practice, you know that?  You know what fucking _time it is?"_

I looked to the bedside table instinctively.  It was almost ten.  Suddenly, something caught my eye…

"I'll talk about that with him later.  I'll be home soon, alright?"

Something on the floor…  "No, you're coming home now."  Something that didn't belong there…  "Right now.  You hear me?  Get your ass home now!"

A belt…  "I'll be home soon."  Weapons…  "And I'll talk to you then."  Not sais…  "Bye, Raph."

_Nunchucks.  _

My heart, literally, stopped.  The whole world stopped.  I heard the click of the phone being placed back on the hook, heard each rapid beat of my heart as it hammered against my chest.  Who was in my kitchen?  It wasn't Raphael.  It was his brother.  My mind raced.  I hadn't even considered that.  I hadn't noticed any differences in the dark.  He'd never used his weapons, he'd never really spoken loud enough for me to notice the difference in his voice.  It was a growl when he spoke to the thugs, and a whisper when we…  Oh, god.

Now, as he stepped out of the kitchen, I noticed everything.  He walked to me and I jerked at the sudden realization that I was sitting completely naked in the middle of my bed with a strange man staring at me.  I scrambled for the sheets and pulled them to my chin.  He smiled slyly.  "Little late for that now, huh?" he joked.

I opened my mouth to reply, but choked on my voice.  He sat down on the edge of my bed and cupped my chin.  I tensed as our lips met, but I didn't know what to do other than kiss him back.  Memories sprang to mind, flooding my head until I was nearly shaking with a confused mix of fear, shame, and embarrassment.

He licked my lips as he pulled away slightly.  "Hey," he whispered, still dangerously close to me.  "Can I know your name?"

_Oh god, why couldn't you have asked me that last__ night? _

"Shannon," I finally managed.  I knew my eyes were as wide as saucers, but I couldn't do a damn thing about it.

"Shannon," he repeated slowly, tasting the name for the first time.  He studied me.  "Pretty," he whispered, brushing my hair behind my ear.  "Just like you.  I like it.  My name's Michaelangelo, but you can call me Mikey."

**A/N:  **Muahahaha, I am evil!  Evil, evil, evil!  I hope I don't have all my readers hating Mikey when this is done.  *Evil grin*But anyway… I'm just warning you now that the next part may come out late—by my standards—because I still have to get it typed and edited.  So if you don't see something soon, it isn't because I'm mean and haven't decided to post, it's just because it's not ready yet.  So don't hate me too.  ;).  


	5. Waiting

Author's Note:  Hey everyone!  I'm finally back!  I'm so incredibly sorry—really—for the horribly long wait!  But sss and I were both having a really hard time with this, and then I got captured by the ninja turtles because I wasn't writing fast enough and had to be rescued from Splinter—he's my hero!—and then, uh, I had to escape the wrath of Splinter (the author, heh heh) who is probably still out to kill me along with everyone else for not getting this part out soon enough.  :o)  But don't worry, the cliffhanger is nicer, since I gave you guys a really nasty one last time and since the next one is gonna be really mean!  And this chapter is also kinda long.  *grin*  And yes, I am evil.  I love it.  Muahahaha.  But thank you so much for the reviews!  I love them, and I hope they keep coming!  Enjoy!

*Chapter Four*

Michaelangelo:

I walked through the sewers, listening to the familiar dripping and trickling of water as it ran through the tunnels.  The air was cool and wet, like it always was.  The dampness clung to my skin in tiny beads of water that might have been mistaken for a thin layer of sweat if I were jogging.  But I wasn't jogging.  In fact, I was walking a lot slower than I usually did.  If I didn't know my way around the sewers so well, I would probably be lost because I wasn't paying attention to where I was going.  Deep in thought, I was barely conscious enough to keep from walking into walls.

I was still trying to get over the whiplash from how fast everything had happened in the past twelve hours.  In one night, I felt like I had experienced more than I had in the past eighteen years.  The only other event that even came close to claiming that was when Leo had almost killed Raph when he threw him against the wall of the farmhouse—hard— in a rare and unexpected fit of rage.  That was two years ago, and I figured it'd probably scar me for life.  

But even that was nothing compared to her.  I _knew I'd never forget what I'd felt with her, and I prayed it wouldn't be the last time I ever felt it.  I had to see her again.  But before I did that, I had to figure out what the hell I was going to tell everyone.  Splinter was going to have my ass, and I knew it.  I smiled involuntarily as I pictured her, and realized I didn't care if he hung me from the gallows.  It was worth it.  It was worth __anything.  But I had to tell something to Splinter.  Because he __would find out eventually, even if I lied to him._

_Okay, Mikey, think logic.  Why did you do it?  _

_Concern,_ I answered myself.  _I was worried about leaving her alone._

The answering sound in my mind was like the buzzer in a game show when the person's answer was wrong.  I laughed quietly, amused.  I might get away with lying to other people, but it was kinda hard to lie to myself.  It wasn't just concern, and I knew it.  Those guys weren't going to be showing their sorry asses around her apartment ever again.  Fear wasn't easily forgotten.  They'd probably remember my face for the rest of their pitiful lives.  

No, I didn't stay there because of them.  It was because of her, and there was no getting around that so I might as well just admit it.  It was something about her.  Something different, that I couldn't really put my finger on.  But if I couldn't explain it to myself, how the hell was I supposed to explain it to everyone else?

The closer I got to home, the more I dreaded it.  I wasn't afraid of Raph.  He was just psycho.  He'd get over it.  It was Splinter who worried me.  I'd never been his perfect student- that unconditional love for the martial arts just wasn't in me.  Not that I didn't enjoy my training, but I'd never be as good as Leo was, by a _long shot.  I knew that, and I'd worked my ass off to do everything __else right.  Until now, I hadn't really failed.  Not in any __major way, at least.  But I knew Splinter would be more than a little disappointed if he learned that I took some strange girl to bed the first night I met her.  _

Maybe I could get away with just not saying anything at all.  I had always been a horrible liar as a kid, and if anything, I was even worse now.  Unlike Raphael, I rarely _needed to lie, so I never had any practice.  Not like it would do me any good anyway.  Didn't seem to help Raph, nine times out of ten.  Splinter saw right through lies and got even more pissed off than he would've been if we'd just told the truth.  I'd kill to know how he did that.  Damn that all-knowing vision of his...  _

But if I couldn't lie, that only left one other option—to tell the truth.  I wasn't sure which was harder.  I wasn't looking forward to explaining how and, more importantly, _when I had met her.  What I'd done was irresponsible and dangerous and probably morally wrong.  Hell, there was no probability about it.  I knew it was wrong.  But somehow, I didn't feel anything wrong about it.  I didn't feel any guilt, or remorse.  And maybe that was the problem.  I knew __Leo would..._

I stopped at the door to the lair, and stared at it for a moment, trying to think of the last time I'd snuck in like this.  I had _never snuck in alone, although in my younger years, I'd snuck out with Raph more times than I cared to admit.  Funny thing about sneaking out- you have to get back __in unnoticed before it can be considered a success.  _

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door cautiously.  The soft creak of the door sounded deafening in the silence.  Quiet thumping sounds were comng from somewhere, and my stomach twisted in knots as I considered who I might run into first.  But no, it wasn't coming from in the lair; the thumping was only the quickened, loud beating of my heart.  I exhaled, and heard the rush of wind, then closed my eyes to listen for any other sounds.  

Someone had left the kitchen faucet on, and the soft drips of water echoed quietly throughout the lair.  Aside from that, there was no sign of anyone.  Splinter was probably around somewhere, but I wasn't about to go look for him.  If he didn't catch me before I made it to my room, oh well.  Leo wasn't in sight either.  I wondered how much he knew of my escapade last night.  Raph had told me on the phone that I had missed morning practice, but I wondered now if he was just saying that to get me home faster.  Don was probably off in his lab, and that left only Raph unaccounted for.  My thoughts drifted only briefly to where he might be, but I wasn't going to go looking for him either.  The coast seemed clear.  I closed the door, wincing at the noise it made, and began to move, ninja style, to my room.

**Raphael:**

I lay on my bed, hands behind my head as I stared up at the ceiling.  Leo and Don had gotten so sick of my ranting over Mike's whereabouts that they had gone topside to look for him.  For once, Leo had agreed with me.  It was strange for Mike to be gone so long, even if he _had really wanted time to himself.  I grinned knowingly.  Mike was gonna get it if Leo found him before he made his way home.  Leo would lecture him all the way back to the lair.  I hoped he came home on his own, before Leo found him.  Not that he didn't deserve a lecture from our fearless leader, but I had a few words of my own that wouldn't have quite the same effect after Leo's rationality.  _

I could've gone out myself and found his absent, mischief-making ass.  But if I wanted to surprise him right, I had to stay here.  If I didn't lay into him when he walked in, before anyone else had a chance to and he'd already started developing his story, it'd be a lot harder to tell what was true and what was made up.  For Mike to be gone all night was weird.  For him to lie about it was weirder.  And I wanted to know where the hell he was, that he hadn't had time to think up something better than "I was watching an eleven hour movie."  Call it curiosity. 

Maybe he had a girlfriend.  I chuckled at that thought.  My baby brother never did anything with anyone outside of our closed circle.  Not that he didn't _want to; I knew he did.  But he didn't have the balls to stand up to Splinter and Leo and __tell them__ he wanted a life.  Splinter wouldn't like him having a girlfriend.  And that was reason enough for me to scratch that idea._

I found my thoughts drifting to Shannon.  I knew she was starting to get the feeling that I didn't care about her.  But that couldn't be further from the truth.  I just didn't know how to _prove that I cared, when she wanted something I couldn't give.  I __couldn't take her home to my family, and I didn't know why she couldn't understand that.  I had explained it to her in the simplest way I could.  I didn't know how to break it down anymore without telling her about all the problems I didn't want to deal with when I was with her.  I had wanted to avoid that explanation and all those memories at all costs, but that was really the only solution that was left.  I could feel the strain in our relationship, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was my fault or hers. _

_My fault or hers._

The line came back, almost mocking me.  I really didn't know.  I didn't want to have to resort to that last solution to save our relationship, if it had to be saved.  If I _wanted it to be saved.  It didn't seem like it had the potential to __go anywhere.  We'd been together for two months, and it was pretty obvious that she wasn't in any hurry to take any steps.  And it wasn't like I could make the move.  The day she spent the night in __my bed would be the day hell froze over.  But I had to admit that I was beginning to get a little impatient with everything.  Maybe this __didn't have any potential.  And if that was the case, why the hell was I wasting my time?_

A soft creak from the living room jolted me out of my thoughts.  I sat up, and I could feel my shoulders tense with anticipation.  I grinned evilly.  It was about damn time he showed up.  This was the moment I had been waiting for.  I could already tell that he wasn't with Leo and Don.  All the better for me. 

This whole situation seemed suddenly ironic to me.  I was usually in Mike's place, and Leo in mine.  So this is how Leo felt when he waited up for me.  I could only imagine that he didn't find it as humorous as I was now.  The picture that came to mind when I thought of Mike sneaking in all by himself was so damn funny, it took all I had not to laugh out loud.  I took a breath to hide my laughter, got up from the bed, and crept to the edge of my door.  I caught a glimpse of him creeping into the living room through the crack, and squinted in order to see him better.

His expression amused me.  He looked guilty.  _Extremely guilty.  There was no doubt about it.  He figured he was alone, and he was making no effort to hide it.  Hell, even if he __was trying to hide it, Mike was a terrible liar.  I could read him like a book.  But why?  What had he done to make him feel so guilty?  So he'd stayed out all night.  So he was sneaking in like a thief.  Big deal.  There had to be more to it.  Something I wasn't seeing.  It would take a lot more than that to put that massive guilt all over his face; I knew that.  _

_Maybe he has a girlfriend._

The thought that I had laughed off earlier came back with the force of a tidal wave.  No.  Not Mike.  Couldn't be… could it?  And even so... _damn he looked guilty.  I didn't have too much time to think about it.  He was coming.  He turned the corner into the hallway that led to the bedrooms, looking guilty as all hell.  I found myself smiling again as he neared my door.  My waiting had finally come to an end._

I threw the door open and was about to yell his name when I froze.  The shocked expression on his face was priceless, like I knew it would be, but I saw something else that interested me a lot more than his panicked surprise.  It was that look in his eye.  It was more than just guilt.  Much more.  There definitely was something else there.  I didn't even know how I knew.  Maybe it was that stupid grin that he couldn't hide even though he didn't mean to be smiling.  It tugged just faintly at the corners of his lips, and he swallowed hard, trying to erase it.  He failed.

"You got laid, didn't you?" I asked quietly.  Don't ask me how I knew that, but I did.  His eyes widened in surprise, and his mouth opened and hung as he tried to find words to answer.  He was probably just as shocked by the fact that I'd flat out asked him that as he was by the fact that I was, most likely, right.

"H-how did you know that?" he demanded.

I studied him for a minute.  He looked terrified, but at the same time, he couldn't erase that stupid gleam in his eye.  "It's written all over your face, bro.  The way you walked and looked gave it _all away."_

He cringed and closed his eyes, breathing deep.  He wasn't happy to hear that, and I didn't blame him.  If I could tell, Splinter would _definately be able to.  He was quiet for a moment, then he opened his eyes and looked at me.  "You aren't gonna say anything, are you?" he asked._

I shot him a pathetic look.  "Have I _ever told on you except to save my own ass?"_

We looked at each other for a while, and he knew that I wouldn't tell on him.  I was about to open my mouth to respond when the lair door opened and slammed shut again.

 "Damn," Mike muttered.  I groaned, sharing his feelings.  Leo and Don were home.

**Leonardo:**

Don and I had just spent the past hour looking topside for Mike.  He had called, so we both knew he was all right, but the fact that we hadn't crossed paths topside was beginning to worry me.  We had checked his usual spots, but he hadn't been in any of them.  It was almost as if he had vanished into thin air.  That hopefully meant that he had wandered home, but there were no guarantees.  God, how I hoped he was alright. 

We opened the door and entered wordlessly.  Fear lanced through my heart as the lair appeared quiet.  I was about to open my mouth, but Don spoke first.

"Shh," he cautioned.  "Listen."

I choked back the words, and strained to hear the quiet voices in the hall.  A sigh of relief escaped my lips.  Don smiled at me.  "See?  What did I tell you?  Mike made his way home just fine."

"I don't know where I'd be without your calm logic, Donny," I told him.

"You'd make it," he assured me.  I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks," I mumbled.  "Glad to know you have confidence in me."

"Anytime," he responded casually.

I smiled and turned my head away from him.  Now that I knew Mike was all right, I was beginning to feel anger.  How could he let us worry like that?  "Mike!" I yelled.  "Get in here right now!"

Silence met my call, but soon Mike appeared followed closely by Raph.  Ignoring his presence, I continued, "Do you realize that Don and I just spent the past hour out looking for you?  Are you aware of that?"

"Lay off, Leo."

We both turned to Raph in surprise.  Words failed me.  Here was the one time I had agreed with him…. and now he'd changed his mind?  What the hell had happened to make him suddenly change his view on this?  Donatello found his voice first, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I will never understand you Raphael," he answered.  "An hour ago, you were raving about how he wasn't here, and now you aren't even going to…"

"Shut up, Donny," Raph snapped.  "You don't need to psychoanalyze me."

"Raphael!"

We all turned in surprise as Master Splinter walked into the living room, his hands folded into the sleeves of his robe.  Raphael growled in frustration.  "Okay, Mike's playing hookie from practice and Leo's yelling and _I'm the one getting yelled at?"_

Master Splinter looked at us all sternly, but said nothing.  At length, his gaze fell to Mike.  "I would like a word with you, my son."

Mike lowered his eyes and he answered, "_Hai, sensei."_

**Splinter:**

He knelt before me in the dojo, his head slightly lowered in a gesture of respect.  I would not compel him to speak to me, but I hoped he would talk freely.  I knew that Michaelangelo did not have the impulse to hide and become defensive, even though he surely knew that I did not approve of his absence for such a great length of time.  But if he chose not to speak, I could not force him.  

It was not the fact that he had stayed out all night that bothered me so much as that he had told no one where he was going.  But I did not lecture him.  I did not want him to feel threatened and refuse to speak.  We sat in silence for a few moments, and I watched him.  He watched the floor underneath him.  There was something distinctly different about his presence.  He was certainly hiding something from me, and I had an idea of what it might be. 

"Michaelangelo."

He raised his eyes reluctantly.  I could see him tense as I studied his expression.  There was a look in his eye, masked by guilt but still perfectly visible.  "I'm... sorry I didn't call," he finally mumbled, his eyes darting away.  "I just... lost track of time."

I nodded slightly.  "It is not like you to be gone for so long, Michaelangelo," I reminded him.  "Where did you spend the night?"

He shifted nervously.  "I was..."

He did not finish.  I smiled fondly down at him, though I knew he could not see my expression.  "Do not be afraid," I coaxed him.  "You can speak freely with me."

He breathed deep.  "I was with a friend," he answered, his voice streaked with guilt.

"Do I know this friend?" I asked quietly.  I was a little surprised, but I chose not to display my emotion.  Michaelangelo had few human friends that I knew of.

He shook his head.  "I just..."  He hesitated.  "No, you don't."

I studied him carefully.  "What is her name?"

He looked up, an expression of shock on his face.  "How did you know it was a girl?"

I smiled knowingly, but chose not to answer him.  I probably knew more than he would offer.  The faraway look in his eyes was familiar and unmistakable.  He looked away and sighed.  "It's not like..." he started.  "I mean, we didn't..." He sighed deeply.  "Yes we did, and you already know it, too."

I laughed quietly at his exasperated resolve.  It was true that I already knew where he was, and what he had been doing during his absence.  I had suspected it before I had even seen him.  But my smile faded as I considered the seriousness of the situation.

"How did you meet her?" I questioned, curious.

"She, uh," he stammered.  "These guys broke into her apartment and tried to rape her.  I saw them watching her and cut them off before they could do any serious damage."

I nodded slightly.  "When was this?"

"At about ten..."  He looked up at me and cut off.  "...weeks ago," he finally finished.  "So ten weeks... like, two months."

"You have known her for two months?"

He nodded slightly, his face etched with guilt.  Michaelangelo had always been a most terrible liar.  "Are you very much in love with her?" I questioned.

He closed his eyes.  "I think so."

I studied him for a moment, wondering if he would go back on his story when it got more complicated, as all lies do.  "You have known her for two months and you do not know?" I asked.

He sighed.  "Well, I really like being with her and I'd like to say I love her but I don't really even..."

His voice trailed off, as if he had caught himself about to say something he did not wish to say.  He did not need to speak the words for me to hear them.  The truth radiated from him.  He didn't know her enough to love her.  At least he understood that much.  The question was, did he _want to love her, or was he content with a one-night stand?  I somehow doubted that, especially from Michaelangelo._

"Do you regret your actions?"

He looked up at me and shook his head.  "No, Master, not at all."

"And she?"

His eyes fell.  "I don't know.  We didn't talk at all this morning, really."

"Will you speak with her later today?"

He nodded.  "I'd like to.  If not today, then definitely tomorrow."

I smiled faintly.  "I would very much like to meet her."

His head snapped up and he stared at me in surprise.  His eyes brightened.  "You mean... you're not mad?"

"_Should I be mad?" I laughed quietly.  He looked away.  "Michaelangelo, look at me."_

He raised his eyes.  "You are old enough now to make your own decisions.  I have spent eighteen years teaching you right from wrong, and how to make wise choices.  I know that you will treat her with respect, and I hope that she will respect you in return."

He studied me for a moment.  "So does that mean... you approve?"

I considered that briefly before answering.  "I should like to meet her before I make that statement."

He smiled.  "Uh, okay," he stammered.  "Sure.  I'll bring her down as soon as I can."


	6. New Insights

**Author's Note:  **Now this isn't so long of a wait, is it?  LOL.  :-) And Splinter, whenever you get around to reading this… I demand you to review!  LMAO.  Don't you think you've given me enough of the silent treatment for not getting the next part out soon enough?  Heh heh.

But anyway… have no idea when I'll get the next part out, hopefully soon, with the Thanksgiving holiday coming.  Hope you enjoy this, and I love feedback if you haven't yet figured that out!  So review, please!  I will love you forever.  *grin*

***Chapter Five***

****

Shannon:

I was going to have to tell him the truth.  I'd just explain it all, tell it like it was, and hope that he understood.  Because the fact of the matter was, I was dating his brother and that put an immediate halt to any relationship I might have with him.  Right?  I shuddered.  It had to be done, but it was _not a conversation I was going to enjoy.  _

When the knock on the window came, I was ready.  But somehow, the words didn't come out quite right.  

"Who's that?" he asked.

"Who?" I questioned, confused.  He nodded toward my orange tabby cat, watching him from underneath the coffee table.  "Oh, that's Mufasa."

Mike chuckled.  "Cute name.  Offa the Lion King?"

"Yeah."

He knelt down and scratched his finger on the carpet.  "C'mere kitty."

"He won't come to you," I sighed.  "He's real skittish around people he doesn't know."

"Mmm," Mike acknowledged.  "So's mine.  But I think that's mostly because I'm the only one who's nice to him."  He laughed as he straightened again.  "Nobody else is all that happy to see him when he comes and licks their face at five o'clock in the morning."

I couldn't help but laugh.  "Mufu doesn't do that," I mumbled.  "He's too moody.  He only obeys when he feels like it, and the rest of the time he just keeps his distance."  I watched the cat for a moment as it eyed us like prey.  "He's not mean, really.  But he's not friendly, either."

"Yeah," he mumbled.  "My cat's been trippin' these past few days because I bought him catnip and he can't seem to keep his nose out of it."

I laughed.  "Must be fun."

"Yeah."

He looked up and our eyes met.  For a moment, I remembered all the things I had to tell him.  But I choked.  He was so easy to talk to, and I was bored and lonely.  Raphael was the only real interaction I had outside of a job I hated, and I hadn't even seen him in three days.  It couldn't hurt to just talk.  There was nothing wrong with that.  Even if Raph showed up, we weren't doing anything wrong.

"You want something to drink?" I offered.

"No, I'm okay," he assured me.  He sighed.  "I would've come over yesterday, but I was in too much trouble."

I cringed.  "You got in trouble?"

He shrugged.  "Well, _sensei made me make up the practice I missed."  He sat down on the couch and motioned to Mufasa again.  "It wasn't that bad, really.  My brother was pissed though."_

"That you were out all night?" I guessed.

"Heh.  Yeah, well, that too," he grinned.  "But more because Splinter didn't ground me for a year, like he would've done to _him."_

I sat down on the chair nearby.  "Splinter is your _sensei?"_

"Uh huh," he mumbled.  

Mufasa crept out from under the coffee table, his eyes trained on Mike.  I stared at him in shock.  That cat didn't even come to _me and he was going to come to someone he'd never seen before?  _

"He's a lot like a father," Mike continued.  "He raised us, you know?"

"Who's us?" I questioned.  "How many brothers do you have?"

"Three."  Mufu touched his nose to the tip of Mike's finger.  "We're all the same age, I guess.  It really kinda depends on how you measure age."  He looked up at me.  "We all mutated at the same time, and that was eighteen years ago.  Before that we were regular turtles, and none of us remember that."

I stared at him.  It took me weeks to pry that out of Raphael, and here he'd offered it within five minutes.  I didn't even have to ask.  "But anyhow," he continued, distracted by the cat who had by now jumped onto the sofa beside him.  "If my psycho brother had caught me leaving last night, there woulda been hell to pay."

"Why?" I asked.  "Is he, like, the leader or something?"

He chuckled under his breath.  "Sometimes I wonder."  He ran his hand over Mufasa's back.  The cat arched into him.  "No, he's just pissed off at me right now.  And he's not someone you want to piss off."

"Why's he mad?"

He shrugged.  "Because of the way I didn't get in more trouble."

"Well, he shouldn't be mad at _you for that," I laughed.  "What did he expect you to do, beg and plead for more punishment?"_

Mikey smiled, but took a moment to answer.  "I don't blame him, really.  All his life he's gotten into trouble just because of who he is.  It just aggravates him that I barely get in any trouble for doing something _really bad, just because of my Michaelangelo charm."_

I laughed.  "So you charm your way out of trouble, is that it?"

He grinned evilly.  "I can charm my way out of most _anything."_

I leaned back against the chair.  "You oughtta teach him."

"Nah, he's not the type," he mumbled.  "Wouldn't work for him.  You gotta play sweet and innocent, and _sensei knows him too well to fall for it."_

I considered that for a moment.  "So does that mean that your _sensei doesn't know __you, or are you actually as sweet and innocent as you act to get out of trouble?"_

"I don't know," he laughed.  "Maybe a little of both.  I've got quite a record, but most of it was _not my fault."_

I pulled my legs up under me and leaned forward.  "What kind of record?" I questioned.

"Well, most of it happened when I was young," he offered.  "It was real easy to manipulate me and trick me, and I was just stupid like that.  Too trusting.  I always fell for it.  My brother got me into so much trouble, it wasn't even funny."

"This the same psycho one who's mad at you for not getting more punishment?"

"Yeah."  He laughed.  "He _always got the short end of the stick.  I guess I really can't feel too sorry for him, though, because we never would've __done that stuff if it weren't for him."_

"What kinda stuff?"

He shrugged.  "Well, this one time he thought it would be fun to replace the sugar with baking soda."

I laughed out loud.  "Oh, god, you're kidding me."

"Well, needless to say, Splinter found out about that one.  I actually _did it, but it was __his idea, so he ended up getting in more trouble than I did."  He considered that for a moment.  "He always got it worse.  I could sweet talk my way out of everything 'cause no one expected me.  Whenever something bad happened, everyone always looked to him.  They still do."_

"You guys must've been a handful to raise."

"Oh yeah.  I give Splinter a lot of credit.  I would've driven me crazy."  He laughed quietly.  "I remember one time around Christmas when my brother and I snuck out of the lair so we could go look at the lights."  He chuckled again.  "Boy did we _ever get in trouble for that." _

"Same brother?" I asked.

"Yeah.  We get on each other's nerves a lot, but he's always been my best friend.  We did everything together when we were younger."

"What's his name?"

"Psycho's one of his favorites," he grinned.  "Idiot, Jerk, Asshole, Hothead, um, let's see…"  He was counting on his fingers as he was trying to remember them all.  I hid my smile behind my hand.  "…impulsive, violent, angry…I know there's more words for him, just can't think of 'em all," he finished, grinning.  "But he's also brilliant and he's my brother, so I hafta love him."

"Yeah," I chuckled.  "Brilliant enough to think up all those pranks when you were younger, huh?"

He shrugged, smiling.  "He's not all bad.  I _do love him, even if he is a jackass.  Anyway, his real name is Raphael."_

I stared at him, caught slightly off guard.  Raphael?  That was how his brother saw him?  "Our _sensei named us all after Renaissance artists," Mike continued.  "Don't ask me why, I don't even know."  Mufasa jumped down off the couch, tired of waiting for more attention.  "I guess I did once, but I forgot."_

Mike leaned back and put his arms behind his head.  "And then there's Donatello, who we don't see much of because he's always in his lab trying to figure out how the universe works.  And Leonardo.  He's our leader, and… let's just say that he and Raph don't get along very well."  He reconsidered that.  "I guess that's the understatement of the year.  Let me fix it.  They don't get along.  Period."

I frowned.  "Why is that?"

Michaelangelo shrugged.  "There's a lot they don't agree on.  I mean, I don't want to take sides or anything, and I don't wanna give you a biased view since you haven't even met them.  They just have different ways of doing things."

He shrugged.  "I think Raph has always resented the fact that Leo is our leader when, as he puts it, no one ever gives him a chance for anything."  He sighed again and continued.  "And I can't say who's right or wrong, but Raph does have a point.  I mean, if he _wanted to, he could be just as good as Leo; I know he could.  He just doesn't try because he feels like it doesn't matter, which pisses Leo off and the circle goes on forever.  They fight.  A __lot.  Hell, they almost killed each other before."_

I was shocked.  "They almost _what?" I cried.  I'd fought with my brother more times than I could count, but I would never dream of attempting to kill him for anything._

"Yeah," he admitted.  "It was pretty scary.  I dunno who started it, but amazingly enough, it was Leo who tried to kill Raph."

"How…?"  My voice trailed off, and I had to confess to myself that I was relieved that it hadn't been the other way around.

He shook his head.  "No one really knew how.  I never even found out what they were arguing about.  It was quite a sight, though.  I mean, Leo's our leader—he's expected to keep his cool and he's the calm and collected one.  But Raph said _something, and he just totally lost it.  Never seen him get like that before and I hope I never have to see it again."_

**Michaelangelo:**

We talked for hours, mostly about my life, rarely about hers.  She had a brother and a family that she said didn't care about her.  Other than that, I knew almost nothing.  I had to know _something about her before I brought her down to the lair.  Splinter wanted to meet her, and he thought we'd been going out for months.  _

 "So… where are you from?" I asked, turning the tables on her.

She looked at me and was silent for a moment.  She shrugged and responded, "Doesn't much matter.  Not like I'm gonna go back there anyway."

I watched her for a moment.  A runaway?  I didn't have a chance to ask.  "My parents and I didn't really get along.  We had different opinions on a lot of things.  And my brother could have helped me, but he didn't.  So here I am, alone.  I don't think anyone cares."  She shrugged.  "Hell, I don't care anymore.  I've made my own life for myself, and I like it."

"Wow," I mumbled.  "So you, like, don't have any family?"

She shook her head.  "No, not really.  I mean, my brother's got this thing where he's tryin' to patch things up, but it's just... I don't know.  It feels so fake, you know?  Like maybe he wants something from me or... there's some kind of hidden motive."

"You don't trust him?"

"I don't trust anyone."

I smiled slyly.  "You trust me?"

She studied me for a moment.  "Sort of," she answered after a long silence.

I laughed.  "S'okay," I assured her.  "I know it's not easy to trust people when you've been burned.  'Specially some freak in a turtle costume who shows up in your room in the middle of the night, huh?"

The attempt at lightening the atmosphere didn't work as well as I'd hoped it would.  I felt sorry for her.  I couldn't imagine trying to live alone, with no family.  She was a lot stronger than she looked.  

She sighed and glanced up at me.  "I feel kind of guilty, you know?" she mumbled, her voice low and serious.  "Like I should give him another chance.  But I just...  I hate _talking to him, I hate listening to him lecture me and feeling like I'm a little kid again because nobody can accept the fact that I've grown up and I have a mind of my own now."_

I watched her silently, concerned.  "They really treat you like that?"

She laughed under her breath.  "I lost my job once and I made the mistake of asking them if I could borrow a hundred dollars to pay my bills.  And you know what their solution was?"  Her voice was cold and cynical.  These parents were definitely not people I wanted to meet.  "They wanted me to move back in with them because I _obviously couldn't support myself."_

She fell silent.  "So what'd you do?" I asked.

"I told them I'd rather prostitute myself to get the money than move back in with them."

Good god, I hoped she was being sarcastic.

She sighed.  "I ended up taking out this loan from a cash agency, place, whatever the hell it was.  Took me forever to pay it back."

"But you did it," I reminded her.

"Yeah, I did it."

I smiled.  She sounded like she was in serious need of some encouragement.  "So see?  You're stronger than you think you are."

She laughed half-heartedly.  "Thanks, Mike."  I studied her for a moment and saw tears in her eyes.  "I really appreciate that."

"I, uh, don't have a whole lot of money or anything but if there's anything I can do, I..."

The telephone cut me off.  Shannon jumped in surprise, then muttered a curse under her breath.  She brushed her eyes roughly and glared at the phone like it was an enemy.  "What?" I inquired.  "Who would it be?"

"My brother," she growled as it rang again.  "He calls me every fucking night to make sure I'm home when the street lights go on."

She stood up.  "You don't have to answer it," I told her.  She turned to me, a confused look on her face.  It was as if she hadn't ever considered that before.  "Hey, it's your phone, right?" I shrugged.  "You don't have to pick it up if you don't want to.  Let the answering machine get it."

She shook her head.  "I don't have an answering machine," she informed me.

"Then let it ring."

She crossed her arms over her chest.  "He'll let it ring for the next five minutes.  And he'll keep calling back.  Believe me, I know."

I grinned evilly.  "Why don't you let _me answer it?" I suggested.  I could think of a few things to say to him, to get him __really freaked out.  "I could be your new husband.  We just got back from Las Vegas."  _

She laughed.  "You _really want to cause me problems, don't you?"_

I stood up.  "Or how 'bout this?"

I walked over to the phone, found the jack on the wall, and pulled the plug.  The noise vanished, and I dropped the cable on the kitchen counter.  I turned back and saw her smiling.  "Now you don't have to listen to it ring."

She stared at me, and for a moment, we didn't speak.  I waited to see her reaction.  She didn't move, didn't look away, didn't give me any indication that I was making her uneasy.  I stepped toward her and she didn't flinch.  

Before I really realized what I was doing, my lips met hers.  Her arms circled my neck and she pressed hard to me.  I felt heat rush through my body and I moaned quietly.  God, I loved the way she made me feel.

She pulled away slowly and her eyes met mine, mere centimeters away.  "Can you stay?" she whispered.

**A/N:  **See?  I'm not that evil… that wasn't that bad, was it?  *grin*  And don't forget to review!  Heh heh.


	7. Something More

**Author's note:  Where have all my reviewers gone?  Come on…I can't have scared you all away!  And thank you to those who DID review!  *glares at lurkers*  I should contact Donny and have him make this device that alerts me whenever someone reads and doesn't review!!  LOL.  But seriously people…REVIEW!  I'll post anyway…but I thrive on them!  And Splinter…good luck with your twins!  And I hope this chapter satisfies everyone!!  Thank you, sss!**

***Chapter Five***

**Leonardo:**

I didn't even have to look up from my position over the kitchen sink to tell that it was him.  The heavy footfalls and the confidence with which he placed his feet gave him all away.  I closed my eyes, my hand still resting upon the cabinet knob.  All I had wanted was to come in here and get a glass of water, but it seemed that I wouldn't even be given the chance to get out the glass.  A confrontation was inevitable, and with the way he had been lately, I had no idea what to expect from him.  There was always that chance that maybe he'd just come in, get what he'd wanted and leave.  His footsteps stopped then, and the gentle breaths that fell upon the back of my neck signaled that he had paused right behind me.  I groaned inwardly.

"Would you mind?"

His voice was short and tense.  I opened my eyes and turned my body around slightly so that I was facing him, with my hand still clutching the knob.  His arms were folded in his traditional stance over his chest, and the glimmer of impatience that almost always foretold the beginning of some sort of argument shone in his eyes.

"What is it this time, Raphael?" I snapped, in no mood to talk to him.

He glared darkly at me and growled back sarcastically, "Can I not even get a glass of water without being questioned in this fucking household?"

"Knock it off, Raph," I warned, but moved over so that he could get his glass.  I didn't need water this badly to want to invite an argument, so I backed away to give him room.  Part of me wanted to just leave, and something told me that I should.  The tension in the lair had been climbing between us ever since he had changed his mind about Mike.  Raph's actions confused the hell out of me, but something told me that that had been more than a mood swing.  He could go from one end of the spectrum to the other in a fraction of a second if something set him off, but he'd been genuinely pissed off at Michaelangelo.  And the next thing I knew, he had switched sides.  He'd done that for a reason.  Something was going on here, and I couldn't even make a guess as to what it might be.

He filled up the water glass and blissful silence fell over us as he drank it.  I could tell by the expression on his face that he was preoccupied with something.  Maybe now was the time that I'd be able to question him about this, when he wasn't fully attentive.

"Raph?" I asked, tentatively.

"Mmm?" he responded absentmindedly, his previous hostility momentarily forgotten as he drained his glass.  I wondered briefly what he could have been doing to make him so thirsty before I returned to the matter which I really wanted to inquire about.

"Has something been going on…that I don't know about?"

He almost choked on his water as he scoffed, "There's a lot of things you don't know about, Leo."

"No, I mean…between you and Mike?" I tried, wishing immediately that I had just let the matter be as fierce anger flashed in his eyes.

"What the fuck do you care?" he growled, setting his now empty glass down on the countertop.  "You stay outta my business, Leo; it ain't your problem."

"That's where your wrong, Raph," I informed, trying to keep my voice calm.  "You see, you're my brother and so is Michaelangelo.  And when what goes on between you two starts to affect the rest of the family, it _becomes my business.  I have a right to know what's going on.  This is __family business, Raphael, and if you'd just talk about it-"_

"No, Leo, that's where _you're wrong," he cut me off.  I paused, not willing to shout over him.  "You say let's talk about it all the time acting like the big pacifist, but you're just waiting for the chance to pounce on me and then it'll be the usual thing of perfect Leo versus the big bad Raphael.  You think I'm stupid enough to fall for that?  Huh?  I leave you alone and keep my nose out of your life.  The least you could do is stay outta mine."_

"This isn't about you, Raph," I snapped.  "I'm worried about-"

"No," he interrupted as he started to stalk out of the kitchen.  "He's a big boy and so am I.  Besides, you got a problem with him, tell _him about it.  Just stay outta my life and leave me the hell alone."_

I sighed and rested my elbows upon the counter and let my head fall into my hands as I heard the front door open and slam; and for once, I wasn't about to go out and call him back.

**Michaelangelo:**

 "Mike, stop!" she cried, slapping my hands playfully as I tried to grab her and draw her close to me.  "I'm trying to sleep here."

I pouted and stuck my tongue out at her.

"You're no fun," I informed, my tone plaintive.

Sighing, she replied, her voice slightly muffled as she buried her head into her pillow, "Then if I'm no fun why have you been spending the majority of the past few days with me recently?"

Chuckling, I responded, "Because it's boring at home and you're the best I could find."

Before I knew it, I felt something soft suddenly smack me hard in the face.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, sitting up and holding my face in my hands.  Shannon looked at me defiantly as she supported herself with her arm, holding her pillow in one hand.  The gaze she was giving me was anything but sympathetic.

"Get out.  Now," she informed, pointing towards the door which led to the balcony window.

I grinned at her slyly.  I could tell she was only jesting with me.

"You're the one who wanted me to spend the night with you," I reminded her.

"Well, a girl can change her mind, can't she?  Besides, I'm sure you could find someone better than me.  Or do you not have the money for a hooker?"

"Aw, come on babe, please?  You wouldn't chase me out _now, would you?" I inquired, putting on my best Michaelangelo face complete with puppy dog eyes and pleading mouth._

"Not even that look's gonna stop me," she informed, turning away from me and crossing her arms over her chest.

"But it's cold out," I whined.  "And you know how cold affects turtles.  I could get hypothermia and die and it'd be all your fault."

No answer.

I looked over at her and saw that she was trying to ignore me completely.  Well, that was fine.  I had ways to make anyone notice me…I had tried them out on a sleeping Raphael on more than one occasion, and his reaction thrilled me every time.

I crawled forward towards her silently across the smooth sheets, and once I was near enough to her, I reached out with my arms and lunged forward.  She shouted in surprise as I pinned her down onto the mattress and turned her over onto her back so that I was staring down into her face and her deep swirling blue eyes.

"You're so beautiful," I breathed.  

"Stop!" she cried, trying to bring her hand up to slap me.  I grabbed her wrists and pressed them down onto the bed while I inched my face ever closer to hers.  Her struggling had ceased, and for a moment, our gazes locked.  Suddenly she lifted her head up off the pillow and kissed me lightly on the cheek.  I was momentarily shocked.  I hadn't expected her to give up so easy.

I lifted my hand up and rubbed the spot gently.  Before I had realized what had happened, Shannon had wriggled free of my grasp and was trying now to crawl through the gap between my raised arm and the bed.  I allowed her to move, intending to make her think that I wasn't aware of her actions.  She had almost gotten through when I wrapped my arms around her waist suddenly and lifted her high up from the bed.  She shrieked and kicked her legs frantically in protest.

"Michaelangelo!" she gasped, between fits of laughter.  "Put me down!"

I had rolled over onto my back and grinned mischievously into her face as I lifted her up even higher.

"Oh, no," I told her.  "I have more fun planned for you yet."

~*~*~

She lay beside me, our labored breathing the only sound in the darkened room.  It was a lot later than we had ever intended it to be.  Especially since she had to go to work in the morning.  She rolled onto her side and looked at me as she inquired, "_Now can I go to sleep?"_

"So you're not gonna throw me out, huh?" I asked, smiling tiredly.

"No, I've decided that I'm going to keep you for the night," she responded, snickering gently.

"I feel honored," I returned, my eyes sparkling.

"I suppose I'm the one who should feel honored, sleeping with one of the legendary Ninja Turtles," she remarked.

I grinned.

"Yeah, that's right.  Kiss my feet," I invited, pulling down the bedspread so that my left foot appeared.  I held it in front of her face and wiggled my toes at her.  She reached out and squeezed them with her hand.

"Maybe some other time," she responded, yawning.

I pulled the covers back up, concealing my feet.

"Shannon?" I asked as she rolled over onto her side away from me and closed her eyes.

"Yeah?" she inquired, her sleep filled voice slurring over the word.

"I love you."

There was a pause, and then she responded slowly, "I love you too."

I stared up at the ceiling for a moment, then turned to her.  I pressed against her back, slipping my arm around her waist, and breathed deep as she leaned against me.  The soft, clean scent of her hair swirled around me.  I nuzzled my face into it and closed my eyes, allowing sleep to wash over me.

**Donatello:**

I felt as though I had just skipped over a whole section in a script for a play or a movie.  Or that I had fallen asleep during the production of that play or movie and had just woken up at the climax, where the main character was in the process of doing something really important, but it didn't make sense to me now because I hadn't seen what had led up to it.  I knew I had just missed something really crucial, and I didn't like it.  It was frustrating, not knowing what was going on, especially since it was taking place right in my own home.  That only made it more aggravating.  I hated being left in the dark.

It was pretty obvious that something had happened between Raph and Mike before Leo and I got back.  Any idiot would have been able to detect that.  I had _seen Raph raving about how Mike wasn't there just an hour ago, and then when we returned…_

No.

There was obviously more to this whole matter than what met the eye.  There was something going on here, and I didn't like not being able to explain it or have a reason for it.  It made me feel…helpless.  I just had a feeling that some big climax would happen, and I wouldn't have the slightest clue as to what was going on.  I don't know how I knew, but I had the sense that someone was going to get hurt.

And I worried.

Well, of course I worried.  They were my brothers.  I was mainly concerned for Raph.  I wondered what had happened to make him so suddenly change his mind…but then again, I knew that Raph and Mike had probably the deepest bond among any of us.  It had been some sort of mutual understanding that Raph had come to after Mike came back.  It was something…

I could guess where Michaelangelo had been.  It wasn't like I'd never heard that excuse before.  Although it seemed, from the way he'd been acting the past few days, that he'd taken his visit with god-knows-who a little further.  Maybe that was it.  Maybe it was that simple.  Mike got laid, he confided in Raph, and Raphael said, "Congratulations."  End of story.  Could explain why Raph had eased off his brother's back.

But then why did I have this sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach?  There was still something I was missing.  I was watching a volcano that was about to blow and I didn't understand why.  Why did I care if Mike got laid?  Why did Raph?  We didn't.  That wasn't the problem.  The problem was bigger.  The problem was something I still couldn't see.

I stood and pushed open the door of my lab to see if I could hear anyone.  I knew for a fact that Mike wasn't here.  I had heard Raph and Leo's argument earlier in the kitchen, and then Raph slam the door shut as he left.  But Leo was probably still here.

I headed out of my lab and discovered my brother sitting at the kitchen table, staring out into space holding an empty water glass in his hands.

"Leo?"

He looked up as I approached, and I took a seat next to him.  He sighed heavily, and I gave him a small smile.  "Raph again?" I inquired, already knowing the answer.

Leo sighed again and shook his head in utter disbelief.

"God, what a jackass," he mumbled under his breath.  "I don't know how Splinter was ever able to do anything with him.  We'd all be better off without him."

I cringed.  I'd heard him talk that way before, and I knew he didn't mean it.  But I didn't like it.  "But you love him," I reminded.

Leo's eyes slid closed.  He didn't answer.  I thought hard for a moment.  Something about the way Raphael was acting didn't ring true.  If he was so happy for Mike that he forgave him for all of that worrying, why the hell was he so anxious to take everyone's head off now?

"I'm worried about him."

The words escaped my lips before I realized I was thinking them, and I looked up for a reaction.  Leonardo snorted.  "What makes you say that?"

I sighed and stared down at the table, rubbing my temples with my thumbs.  I didn't know, really.  I didn't know why I felt that way.  But I did.  "Don't you think that…something weird is going on?"

He laughed cynically.  "I know that.  But trying to get anything out of Raph is like committing suicide."  He glanced up and our eyes met.  "What do you think that argument was about, Donny?  I was trying to get some answers out of him."

I didn't answer.  For a long time, it was silent.  The frustration faded and traces of a frown began to adorn his features.

"But really, why are you worried about him?"

I smiled inwardly.  I knew Leo cared about Raph, just as much as he cared about the rest of us.  He just had a harder time expressing any feeling besides anger towards our impulsive brother.

"It's just…a feeling.  Like there's something more going on than what meets the eye."  I sighed and leaned back in the chair.  "The way he... changed.  It's like he sympathized with Mike all of a sudden.  And I don't wanna think about why."

Leo was silent, but he was regarding me with a thoughtful gaze.  "Like he's been in his position before..." he considered.

"Possibly.  Or maybe he just... I don't know, Leo.  But something's going on.  And I get the distinct impression that it's going to _royally screw with __both of their heads."_

**Shannon:**

I yawned and nuzzled my face into the pillow beneath me.  I could feel alertness within my grasp, but I wasn't entirely sure why I was awake.  I'd expected to wake up to the insistent alarm clock.  But it was still night and the room was dark.

The soft snoring I heard signaled to me that Mike was still fast asleep.  I could feel the heat from his body warming me underneath the sheets.  I turned and pressed closer to him, careful not to wake him up.  His arm slipped around me as he breathed deep, and I tucked my head under his chin.  Warm and safe, consciousness faded and I began to slip away again.

_Tap, tap, tap._

My eyes snapped open and my whole body tensed.  The sounds had been faint, and for a moment I wondered if I was imaging things.

_Tap, tap, tap._

No, I wasn't.  There they were again.  The tapping sounds were quick, insistent.  I knew instinctively who they belonged to.  He was on my balcony...

_Tap, tap, tap._

And he was getting impatient.

I swallowed hard and pulled away from Mike, _praying he wouldn't wake up.  He was already sleeping lightly and I silently begged the sounds to stop for just a moment.  If he woke up, I didn't know what I would do._

Michaelangelo didn't stir.  I watched him for a moment, then sat up.  I had to face him.  If I didn't, he wouldn't leave.  Given a few minutes, he'd worry about me and come bursting in here and that was about the worst scenario I could imagine.  But what was I going to say to him?

_We weren't doing anything wrong…_

Those words sounded extremely pathetic now, and I knew he wouldn't like them at all.

_It just... happened._

Damn it!  Why now?

The tapping had stopped and I knew he was probably working on the lock.  I stood as silently as possible and grabbed my robe, slipping my arms into the sleeves and pulling it closed tightly.  I cringed as the bedroom door creaked, and looked once more at Michaelangelo.

The balcony door was open by the time I reached the living room, but there was no sign of the intruder.  For a moment, I panicked.  Where did he go?  If he'd gone into one of the other rooms and I'd missed him when I walked by, he could be on his way to my bedroom.  My heart beat frantically as I spun and looked down the hallway, where a faint shadow moved over the wall.

**Sorry!  I'll try and post fast…and remember…REVIEW OR DIE!!!!  =D**


	8. Explanations

Author's Note:  *smiles brightly and waves at reviewers*  Hi!  Well, it's good to know that I haven't scared _all _of you away.  Hee hee.  Thanks so much for the kind feedback!  I love you all!  *gives out lots of hugs*  Note before we begin:  blah, blah indicates Japanese.  And I do not own Richard Marx's "Hold on To the Night."  Hope you all enjoy this!  Lots of thanks to sss.  ;)  *gapes at previous chapter*  I mislabeled it, it wasn't supposed to be chapter five, but chapter six.  This is chapter seven.  Hee hee.  Sorry.

*Chapter Seven*

Shannon:

I wanted to call out, to get his attention, but my voice was caught in my throat. All I could do was watch as the shadow disappeared into pitch-blackness, waiting for the inevitable. "Something interesting down there?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I spun and stumbled back, tripping over the coffee table, and crashed into the sofa, my hand clapped over my own mouth to stop myself from screaming. I lay still, hyperventilating, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I saw the faint outline of a dark figure, silhouetted against the moonlight. A slight breeze rustled the thin curtains in front of the open balcony door. I swallowed hard, willing my heartbeat to slow back down to normal, and lowered my hand slowly. "Omigod, you scared me!" I hissed. 

Raphael grinned at me as he offered a hand. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't mean to."

An uneasy feeling swept over me again as he pulled me easily to my feet and the effects of being scared out of my wits slowly ebbed away. Fifteen feet behind me, beyond a closed door, was Michaelangelo. I shifted nervously and instinctively positioned myself at the mouth of the hallway. There was no chance of getting Mike out. That meant Raphael had to leave. And he had to leave _now! _

His eyes shifted from me to look beyond me, and my heart began to beat even faster as thoughts of what would happen if Mike woke up now came to my mind. Raphael's head cocked slightly to the side and for a moment, I wondered if he was going to question me about the panicked fear that I knew must be written all over my face. He shifted his weight, eyeing me carefully, and I tensed as I watched his eyes move. I prayed there was nothing in this room that suggested I wasn't alone...

Relief washed over me as he spoke again, and I realized our thoughts were nowhere near the same. "Did I wake you up?"

Finally, I found my voice. "Raph," I began in a hoarse whisper. I stopped as I realized how panicked I sounded. Oh, god, he was going to figure it out just by my voice! I closed my eyes and breathed deep, willing myself to be calm. "Raphael, you have to get out of here."

I looked up at him again and in the dim moonlight that flooded through the balcony window, I saw a puzzled look appear on his face_. Oh, lord, that sounded so desperate... I immediately sought for something else to say, to fix the way that had come out. "I mean..." I stammered. My mind raced, but I couldn't come up with the words._

"What's wrong?" he asked, the look on his face changing to one of concern.

Terrifying scenarios ran through my mind. I imagined him getting the idea that I'd been hurt, that my attacker was still here. He'd push past me and throw the bedroom door open. And Mike would sit up in bed, shocked. Should I run, at that point? Should I try to explain? Should I just curl into a ball and die?

"It's..."I struggled. "It's nothing. I'm... fine. It's just... Please!"

My whisper rose in volume as the tension in my chest escalated and stole the breath from my lungs. _Oh, please, just leave... He shook his head slightly. "I don't understand…" _

He wanted an explanation. There was no getting around it. _Think fast, Shannon! I bit my lip, shifting my weight nervously. His eyes left mine for just an instant and flickered to the darkness over my shoulder. Every muscle in my body tensed. _

I stepped forward instinctively, trying to divert his attention, and pressed my hands to his plastron, but his gaze remained locked over my shoulder, eyes narrowing. I panicked. Placing both hands on his cheeks, I forced him to look at me and rose on my tiptoes, kissing him hard. For a moment, he was shocked. But it distracted him well enough. His arms slipped around my waist and I watched his eyes slide closed.

As our tongues met, a sharp pang of guilt shot through me. This was wrong. This was so very wrong. It wasn't fair to either of them. The simple misunderstanding had gotten so out of hand, I didn't know what to do about it. _Tell them... Yes. I had to tell them. I couldn't go on doing this any longer. I had to explain what had happened, no matter how painful it would be. _

I pressed to him, buying more time. _When I pull away, I'm going to tell him... I remembered Mike, in the next room, and my thoughts lingered there. Telling him would be harder. I knew that the truth would hurt both of them, but I imagined it would hurt Mike more. Raphael wasn't... My thoughts faded into a blur, and I forgot the logic of my assumption. How would it not hurt Raph to find out that I was sleeping with his brother while I was kissing him? _

The thought made my stomach turn. I felt like a slut, and I hated it. I'd never cheated on a boyfriend. I'd hated girls that did. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd be here, caught up in this soap opera. But no more. It was going to end now, even if it did hurt. Even if he was angry. Even if he hated me...

I considered that for a moment. Michaelangelo had shown me a new side of Raphael: his angry side. Did I really want to piss him off? Did I dare to? _You can't keep lying to him, Shannon... No, I couldn't. But perhaps a confession was not wise when his brother was just down the hall. I imagined telling him, and watching in shocked horror as he stormed down the hallway into my bedroom. What would he do? What would he say to Mike? Would he even give me a chance to tell him that it wasn't Michaelangelo's fault?_

That wasn't wise. Not here. Not now. I would tell him, but to do so now was wrong. Right now, I had to get him out of here before he discovered Michaelangelo.

He pulled away slowly and our lips parted. My eyes immediately lowered in shame. That was so wrong... And at the same time, for him, it wasn't. For him to kiss me, his girlfriend, was totally natural and even expected. Oh, where did everything go so _wrong?_

I realized he was talking, and that I hadn't heard a word of what he'd said so far. "... haven't seen you for three days and—"

"Now isn't the time, Raph," I interrupted, well aware of his words. Three days? Had it really been that long? I hated doing this to him, seeing him like this…but this wasn't the place for words. "Please." I rested my hands on his shoulders and dared to look up at him. "We'll talk later. I promise. I'll explain everything." 

The pained look on his face made me drop my eyes. _Yes, I would explain everything. The vow to do so was written on my heart. I wouldn't put him through any more of this. "Raph... trust me," I whispered to the carpet. "Please?"_

He let go of my waist with one of his arms, and he brushed his hand across my cheek, pushing some strands of loose hair behind my ear. I cringed at the gentle touch, though with my face turned to the floor, I knew he couldn't see it. "Just tell me why," he whispered.

I sighed. "My... brother dropped by for an unexpected visit."

The words rolled off my tongue easily and I wondered where I'd come up with them. I immediately felt guilty. I shouldn't be lying to him. But I had no choice. If he and Mike saw each other here...

"Your brother?" he questioned, and I could sense the sharpness in his voice. His words bit into me, and the suspicion that I heard there caused me to falter. Was the lie that obvious? _Raph, please don't ask questions... Please just leave..._

"Yes," I repeated, feeling the beat of my heart quicken as once again I thought of Mike in the next room. _His brother. "My brother."_

_Oh, Mikey, please don't wake up…_

"So you want me to leave." The statement was blunt and flat, and I cringed slightly. The icy tone cut through me like a knife. I pleaded silently that he wouldn't argue with me, and that he'd just listen. Outwardly, I managed a slight nod.

He thought about it for a moment and then he replied. "Sure, I'll leave." I cringed at his tone, recognizing the sarcasm. "While I'm at it, why don't I just go jump off the bridge? Or would you miss me then?"

I kept my eyes down, shaking my head slightly, pleading with him in my mind. _Please don't be mad... Please just leave... I promise I'll explain... "Raphael, please," I begged._

He sighed deeply and turned away, but made no move toward the open balcony. After a moment of silence, he looked back at me. "How long is he going to be here?" he demanded, his voice losing much of the irritation that had tainted it a moment ago.

Again I faltered. God, I hated lying to him. _Well then why are you doing it?_

_I have no choice!_

_And whose fault is that?_

"A while," I managed. "I don't know exactly how long. Maybe just a couple days, but..." I looked up and caught his stare. A lump formed in my throat and I forced it down. I had to tell him. I couldn't put it off. The guilt would eat me alive if I didn't tell him soon, and I knew it. "Come back tomorrow night," I whispered. "I'll... make sure he's not here. Then we can talk. I'll explain everything."

I heard a noise behind me and panic washed over me again, stealing my breath. Instantly, my heart beat faster. Mike was awake. The bed was shifting as he stood up. My eyes darted to Raphael and I saw him looking down the hallway. I pressed hard to him, drawing his attention away from the door. _I'm so close... Please don't walk out of there yet!_

"Please go!" I whispered harshly, not even trying to hide the panic. "If he sees you here...!"

Time stopped for a moment as his arms wrapped around my waist. He leaned down and I turned my head slightly, cringing as I considered what kinds of questions such an action could raise. He kissed the side of my mouth rather than my lips, and pulled away slowly, a confused look on his face. _Please don't ask... please just leave... His hands unlocked from around my waist and in an instant, he was gone. _

I spun as my bedroom door opened, and the balcony door hissed quietly as it slid into place.

Raphael: 

As I left her place, the darkness of the night gave me a comfortable feeling of security, and the moon gave me just enough light to see by. But I really wasn't paying much attention to it. I was still trying to decide what I was feeling. It seemed that at this moment, every possible emotion was running through me, and I was having a difficult time separating and distinguishing them. What had gone on there? The question rang through my mind as I ran back over the brief conversation I'd just had with Shannon. 

Her brother was visiting.

_Her brother._

The statement was logical enough.

_Then why are you doubting it?_

My inner voice was screaming at me, but I wasn't sure why. I couldn't place it. As I slipped into the dark alley, I closed my eyes and retraced her image in my mind. She'd been nervous, but that was to be expected if she was afraid of her brother waking up and seeing me. There was nothing about that that didn't ring true. No, it was something else. Something just didn't feel right.

I sighed, and opened my eyes, having a frustrated sigh. Something didn't feel right with this whole thing. I tried to remember past conversations that we'd had, searching for any information I could pull about her brother. There weren't too many times I could recall when she had been talking more about her herself than asking questions about me and my family. Come to think of it, I couldn't recall any time when she had ever gone into serious detail about her family. I knew she didn't get along with them, but that was about it. 

_Then why is her brother visiting?_

I considered that for a moment. _To reconcile? I guessed._

Seemed reasonable, but I still couldn't shake off the feeling I had that things weren't as they seemed. There was a piece somewhere that I was missing. I sighed and pushed the thoughts out of my mind. I'd talk to her later. Right now, I had other problems.

The last place I wanted to go was home. That place was about as close to hell as I could get without actually dying. But right now, it seemed as though I had no choice. If I stayed out any later, I would just make everything worse. Leo would be a raving maniac. 

I had headed to her apartment in the first place to escape the talk that Leo had been in the process of giving me. It was the same old thing, every time, and I didn't know how much more of him I'd be able to stand. With Mike gone more frequently, there wasn't really anyone to step between the fighting anymore. Don spent more and more time in his lab, and Splinter only came in when the shouting became more than he could stand.

It seemed as though I couldn't even go out with Casey anymore without Leo waiting to pounce on me with one of his famous "responsibility" lectures. Or lack thereof, as it appeared to be in my case. Now with Shannon's place off limits for who knows how long, my options of escape had been partly killed. I sighed as I felt my thoughts drifting back to her again. Something still felt unsettling to me. 

I tensed suddenly, and froze as my sixth sense kicked in, warning me. Something was wrong. Something was dangerous. I was being watched. I turned slowly, my eyes scanning the alley. I always took care to use darkened alleyways to walk through the city streets so I could avoid being seen. But it wouldn't be the first time I'd been followed.

Except there was no one behind me. No... it was coming from somewhere else.

I lifted my gaze to the rooftops next to me, tensed and instinctively ready for battle, but I got the same result. No one was there. I turned again until I was facing the busy New York streets and raised my eyes to the rooftops across the road, making out the faint outline of the ledges in the moonlight.

Something moved. A shadowed figure, poised on the rooftop of one of the buildings.

I blinked, and then, in an instant, it was gone. I stared, waiting for it to return, but the space that had just been occupied but a second ago was empty. I could've sworn that there had been something there…

_You're losing your mind, Raphael._

I still couldn't shake the uneasiness. But even so, I needed to get home. I sighed as I turned and continued on my way back to the lair.

Michaelangelo: 

She stood in the center of the living room, still as a statue, her wide eyes trained on me. I studied her for a moment as I slipped out of the room and started down the hallway. "Shannon? You okay?"

Her eyes darted behind her, and she relaxed slightly. "Yeah," she clipped, but the tension in her voice was evident.

I walked to her and looked around the living room for any clue as to what was bothering her. The shadows danced over the walls, but nothing moved. She swallowed hard as my eyes came to rest on her. "Are you sure?" I whispered, concerned. Something had spooked her. "What are you doing up?" I glanced at the clock, but I couldn't read it in the darkness. "It's the middle of the night."

"I..." she stammered, shifting nervously. "... had a nightmare. Um... and I went to... get a drink of water."

I stepped forward and rested my hands on her shoulders. She was hard as a rock from the tension. I kissed her cheek lightly and massaged a little, and her breathing slowly returned to normal. I ran my hands down her arms and took her hands, rubbing my thumb gently over her palms. "Come here," I guided, stepping back.

"Where?" she asked, still sounding worried.

I led her to the kitchen table and pulled one of the chairs out with my foot. "Sit down," I ordered gently.

She complied and I brushed her hair back, then ran my fingers over the collar of her robe. I followed it down to where it was closed over her chest, and separated it slowly. She tensed up as I eased the fabric off of her bare shoulders and pulled her hair back again. I rested my hands on her skin and rubbed gently at first. 

After a few minutes, I felt her slowly begin to relax. I massaged harder, pressing against the top of her chest with my fingers and using my thumbs at the base of her neck. She exhaled a deep breath, and a quiet moan escaped her lips with it. I smiled. "Feel good?"

"You're really good at this," she whispered.

I laughed quietly as I ran my fingers over her warm skin. "It's even better with some warm oil and quiet music in the background," I answered, leaning down and nuzzling her hair. "I'll have to show you sometime."

She moaned as my hands ran down, over her chest, and cupped her breasts. "Why don't you just sing for me?" she teased.

I chuckled as I considered that. "You've never heard me sing, have you?" I replied.

"No," she laughed.

I found her ear through her hair and bit gently. "Trust me," I whispered. "It's not romantic."

She giggled quietly as I ran my tongue along the rim of her ear, then she turned to face me. I pulled away slightly, instantly captivated by her blue eyes. "You should let me be the judge of that," she informed me. "Unless, of course, you're too shy."

I jerked away, my hands rising back to her shoulders. "Me?" I challenged, laughing. "Shy?"

I stepped back and pulled her to her feet, nearly toppling the chair. She laughed as I stepped back, dragging her with me, and embraced her. I kissed her gently and felt her body relax against mine. She'd pulled the robe back onto her shoulders, but I could still feel the heat radiating from her. Our lips parted and I kissed the side of her mouth, my hands running over her back as I held her to me. 

There actually was a song that had come to mind the moment she had suggested my singing, but I knew I couldn't do it well. Hell, I couldn't sing if my life depended on it. But I _wasn't shy. I pressed my cheek against hers, our bodies rocking back and forth gently as I began in a whisper. "Just when I believed... I couldn't ever want for more..."_

Her hands ran up my arms to my shoulders, and she nuzzled against me encouragingly. "... this ever changing world... pushes me through another door." I took in a breath as her arms locked behind my neck and she rested her head on my shoulder. "I saw you smile... and my mind could not erase... the beauty of your face."

I choked for an instant as her lips pressed to my neck and a smile crossed my face. "Just for a while... won't you let me shelter you?"

"Hold on to the night..." she began quietly, in unison with the words as they came out of my mouth. I quieted and let her take the chorus. She sounded a lot better than I did, and I loved the sound of her voice. "Hold on to the memories...." I'd never heard her sing. She sounded so beautiful. I felt my heart melt as she nudged me, her voice dropping almost to a whisper. "I wish that I could give you something more... That I could be yours..."

My hands brushed over the tie around her waist and I traced it around the front of her body, missing a beat as I realized that she wasn't going into the next verse. "How do we explain..." I took over, feeling the slow and steady pace as we moved back and forth, shifting our weight. Dancing. Another thing I'd never done before... 

"... something that took us by surprise?" I found the knot in the tie, over her stomach, and ran my fingers over it. "Promises in vain... love that is real but in disguise..."

I pulled at the tie and she pulled away slightly. The words were lost on my lips as her robe fell open completely and my eyes ran over her body. As I met her gaze again, I saw her studying me with a strange look on her face. I hadn't expected to see tears in her eyes...

"What happens now...?" she whispered, continuing where I'd left off. "Do we break another rule? Let our lovers play the fool?"

I raised my hand to the side of her face and brushed my fingers over her skin lightly. Her lower lip quivered and she closed her eyes as a single tear rolled down her cheek, burning where it met with my skin. "I don't know how..." she choked. "...to stop feeling this way...!"

I'd forgotten the song by now. I raised my other hand and tilted her face up. She opened her eyes and stared at me. "Shannon, what's wrong?" I whispered.

She pulled away, turning her back on me and shaking her head.  She pulled her robe closed and held it tightly, her arms crossed over her stomach and holding her hips. A dozen scenarios ran through my mind, none of them pleasant, and I watched her for some kind of cue. My mind ran back over the lyrics. 

Something that took us by surprise... Yes, this relationship had certainly done that. That was no big secret. It had come out of nowhere, for me. Somehow, I'd never stopped to think that she might've been just as surprised as I was by the whole thing. For the first time, I thought hard about where I stood in her eyes. Why was I here? Why did she want me here?

_"I want you to stay…"_

New scenarios sprang to mind as I considered her words. She'd asked me to stay, but was that what she'd wanted? Was it just supposed to be a fling, and it got out of hand? My stomach turned as I considered that. _Do we break another rule... Let our lovers play the fool... Suddenly, I realized all the things that I had ignored because they meant nothing to me. _

_Our lips met and I let her lead, not wanting to pressure her.  She seemed so unsure… heat rushed through my body and I moaned quietly. She pulled away slowly and her eyes met mine, mere centimeters away. "Can you stay?"_

The pieces fell into place and I closed my eyes slowly, humiliation washing over me. It made me pause for a moment. Why that emotion?

_Because it's not you... You're just the other guy..._

I breathed slow and kept my eyes closed. "You're seeing someone else?" I guessed.

"I was," she whispered. 

I cringed at the words. No. It wasn't supposed to happen like this... I turned my head to the side and opened my eyes to stare at her carpet. I wanted to leave. I didn't want to have to hear this. I wanted to go home, to crawl into bed, to cry and not let anyone see. God, why hadn't she just told me before she stole my heart? It would've been hard, but I could've handled it.

"I wasn't going to tell you," she finally continued. "I didn't want to. I mean, I figured... it wouldn't matter now."

I drew my eyes to hers, forcing myself to look at her. What was that supposed to mean? How could it not matter that she was in love with someone else?

_I don't know how... to stop feeling this way.._

"But when we first..." She swallowed hard, choking on the words. "... I was dating someone else." She raised her hands and hid her face behind them. "And I'm so sorry I didn't tell you."

I studied her for a moment. She was talking in the past tense. She was dating someone else. Did that mean she wasn't anymore? There was a long silence as I tried to work up the courage to ask her. "But you're not now?" I pleaded.

She shook her head. "No," she answered. I breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly caught it as she growled and spun away from me again. "Damn it, I don't want to lie to you!" I stared at her, not sure what to think, and she turned to me again. What the hell was she trying to say?

"I'm not seeing him. But I haven't... officially broken up with him. I... haven't been with him since I met you. I haven't had a chance to talk to him."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. What was the bottom line here? I knew it, but I was almost afraid to ask. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes. "Do you love him?"

There was a silence and I looked up to see her eyes closed as she shook her head. "No, Mikey," she whispered. "And that's the truth. And it's what I'm gonna tell him."

Now, I felt relieved. It wasn't a game. She wasn't using me. And if she hadn't had a chance to tell him yet, that was different than two-timing him. "You should call him and tell him," I informed. 

She shook her head. "He doesn't have a phone," she sighed, brushing her eyes. "I don't even have a way to get a hold of him. He comes over here, and that's the only time I see him."

I studied her for a moment. "But you are going to tell him, right?"

She nodded. "I am. He said he'd come tomorrow night. I'm gonna tell him then; I promise."

I brushed the tears off her cheek and she swallowed hard. Her lip quivered again and our eyes locked. "I'm just... so sorry I didn't tell you. Forgive me. Please."

I slipped one arm around her waist, pulling her close to me. She tucked her head underneath my chin, her hot tears running onto my skin and trickling toward my plastron. I brushed her hair back with my other hand, massaging gently at her scalp. "I forgive you," I whispered.

"I love you," she answered, clinging to me. Her fingers wrapped underneath my shell, hugging me as best she could. "I can't believe how much I love you! I don't even understand it." She pulled away and looked up at me, her eyes glistening. "You just... captured my heart."

I smiled as I brushed my fingers over the side of her face. "Well, either that or I'm a better lay than I thought I was."

She managed a quiet laughed and batted my hand away as she brushed her cheeks roughly. For a moment, it was quiet. She stared at me intently. "I do love you, Mikey," she repeated. "I really do."

I nodded, my smile falling. "I know you do."

"Don't leave," she pleaded, running her fingers along the sensitive skin on my sides.

I shook my head. "I wasn't going to. Not unless you asked."

She smiled, reassured, and leaned into me. I hugged her tightly as we kissed.

Shredder: 

"I have news that might interest you."

I turned to face the soldier that had entered my study. I had not called him in, and most of the soldiers would not walk into my private chambers unless I had asked for them. I could think of nothing important that this one would have to offer. I studied him before I answered. He appeared to be not much more than a kid, and his arms were folded over his chest as he waited for my response. The black mask that covered his face permitted me from seeing what emotions lay there, but he had bowed before he entered, which showed that he knew how to give some respect. Half of my mind wanted to just throw him out, but I could not think of a reason for him to come here unless he did have something to offer. He intrigued me. 

"What is it?" I demanded, eyes narrowing.

"Your greatest enemies are those four turtles, are they not?" 

He was choosing his words carefully.

"Get to the point," I answered, my voice harsh. The soldier stood firmly and did not waver, and I felt my anger rise at this one's impudence. He really was beginning to try my patience now. I should have sent him out…

 "I know a way to get to them."

That was all that was needed to get my interest piqued again. For years, I had been trying to find ways to get to them, and every way, I had failed. They were always one step ahead of me, and always kept a covered trail behind them. I could not do one thing without them being upon me. They always prevented me from doing anything with the foot clan. I turned my eyes to the soldier in front of me, to study him again. I still had a doubt—how did this one know something that I did not? 

"What is this way you speak of?" I questioned, folding my arms across my chest as I listened to his story. As he told me his information, a smile began to form behind the metal plate that hid my face. So…the freaks had girlfriends now. Or perhaps it was just this one? The thought in itself disgusted me, but I did not care about that at this moment. I had a way…and I did not intend to fail now. When he finished speaking, my answer came out low and menacing.

"Bring her to me."

**TBC**


	9. Her

Author's Note:  Well, everyone, here's the next chapter!  Word of warning here that things are gonna start to get pretty intense after this, so watch out.  *evil grin*  Thanks for your reviews, too!  Hope you all enjoy this!  (Oh, and Splinter…you can tell Donny to put away his wallpapering videos now.  Hee hee.)

*Chapter Eight*

Michaelangelo:

_Ouch...  What the hell?_

 I was cramped.  My legs and neck were both bent at an odd angle, and it took me a moment to move them.  Where was I?  Obviously I wasn't in bed.  Or in Shannon's bed, for that matter.  I gave a short yawn and rubbed my eyes, blinking them several times as I became accustomed to my surroundings.  I was on Shannon's couch, on my back with my face to the wall.  I closed my eyes again and breathed a few times, letting alertness come to me, before turning to the open room.  Bright sunlight filtered through the window panes and caught the millions of tiny dust particles in its yellow-gray light.

I felt warmth at my feet and looked down.  Shannon was curled up in a ball at the opposite end of the couch.  In her sleep, her left hand had found its way over to me, and it rested lightly on my shin.  The tie holding the robe closed had come loose through the night, and I could see a hint of her soft breasts, rising and falling as she breathed.  I smiled at her, and attempted to stretch.  Falling asleep on the couch had seemed like a good thing to do at the time, after her confessions from last night, but my muscles were stiff from the lack of breathing space.

Something else brushed against me.  My eyes reluctantly turned away from Shannon's face and wandered to my side.  I smiled as I saw Mufasa the cat curled up in a ball beside me.  Had he been there all night?  Somehow I doubted that, and guessed that I probably hadn't noticed him before because I had been so lost in my own thoughts, and in Shannon.

She moaned softly and snuggled her face into her arms, crossed beneath her head.  I smiled again, and pulled my legs away from her slowly, careful not to wake her or the cat.  I slid to the floor and crawled over to her face, considering the thought of waking her.  I glanced at the clock.  Still early.  I didn't have to wake her yet. 

 I smiled as I used my free hand to push some loose strands of her dark brown hair gently behind her ear.  God, she was so beautiful.  I loved everything about her.  I traced my finger along the rim of her ear and down her jaw, then brushed it over her lips.  I wanted to kiss her, but I knew that would wake her up.  Let her sleep a few more minutes.

I rested my hand lightly upon her cheek, trembling slightly as the warmth from her face radiated to me.  I loved the feel of her skin, the heat from her body.  She moaned softly, and in her sleep, nuzzled against my hand.  The smile slowly fell from my face as I considered all of the words that were said last night.

_Her confessions._

I was still trying to decide how I felt about what she'd told me.  No, I wasn't really suspicious of her.  And it didn't make me love her any less.  Hell, I didn't think anything _could _make me love her any less.  There was no doubt in my mind concerning how much I cared for her.  Instead, I found myself wondering how much she really loved me.  How could she have not told me sooner, if she was seeing someone else?

_She wouldn't have told you at _all _if she didn't love you,_ I reminded myself.

That was true, and it offered me some comfort.  She was honest with me, even when she didn't have to be.  I wouldn't have even known if she'd broken up with him quietly, although I was sure I would've eventually figured it out if she'd kept a relationship going with him.  But if she was calling it off anyway, why bother to tell me?  Why make a confession like that.  Maybe it was for no other reason than to say she was sorry, which she did over and over.  And I believed her.  I knew she was sorry.

I sighed as I rolled back on my heels, then sat down cross-legged beside the couch, watching her.  If I could've painted or sketched or written a freakin' sonnet to express what I felt for her, I would have done it.  But all I could do was watch her and wait patiently for her to awaken.  I wasn't artistic, although I could remember Splinter at one point praising a narrative piece I did.

Splinter.  I'd told him he could meet her.  Maybe it was time to set that meeting up.  She had asked a lot of questions about my family, and I knew she wanted to meet them, even though she wouldn't come out and ask me if she could.  I got the impression that her last boyfriend was real secretive about his home life.  But I didn't mind.  I'd told her everything she'd asked, and I figured I'd better tell her the truth, too, since she'd inevitably meet them.  When Splinter requested an introduction, he had surprised and elated me at the same time.  That made it immensely easier to bring her down if I knew she would be accepted.

And Splinter wasn't the only one who wanted to meet her.  Leo was getting more and more persistent, wanting to know where I had been disappearing to lately.  I knew better than to tell him I was seeing somebody and leave it at that.  That might be fine with Raph, but Leo was too suspicious.  And for that matter, I knew Raph was interested in who I'd managed to get laid with.  Don had a right to know, too, when I was slacking off on chores that _he usually covered for me.  I owed him a few favors... more than I could count._

It was easy to determine that I _should take her down.  But how to go about doing it was another thing altogether.  I thought about calling my family in advance, but then decided against it.  It would be better if it was a surprise.  Getting Shannon to take the day off work was another problem.  I wasn't too worried about that, though.  My Michaelangelo charm could work with almost _anything, _and I felt pretty confident that this was not an exception.  Although it wouldn't hurt to have some added insurance..._

I watched her for a moment longer and she shivered slightly.  I rose to my feet soundlessly and walked to the bedroom, retrieving the thinner of the two blankets.  I didn't feel much like carrying the huge comforter through the hallway, tripping along the way.  When I returned, I laid it over her carefully and smiled as she pulled it close, snuggling into it.  Then I turned and headed for the kitchen, humming a tune softly under my breath.

Shannon:

I was alone.  At least in the sense that the warm body that had fallen asleep beside me was missing now.  Instead, I was covered in a blanket, more than warm enough but already missing his presence.  I stretched and blinked my eyes rapidly as they adjusted to the light.  I scanned my surroundings for any sign of Michaelangelo, but only Mufasa was in the room, curled at the other end of the sofa.  Had he gone?  

_It would serve you right,_ an inner voice whispered bitterly.

I sighed.  _Get a hold of yourself._

Consciousness slowly found its way through the darkness in my mind and I yawned.  Taking in a deep breath, an unfamiliar smell reached my nostrils.  It was almost like... someone was cooking?  The thought puzzled me for a moment.  I strained my ears to listen and found that I could hear the faint sound of moving pots and pans.  Mike was cooking?  I'd had no idea that he could cook...  

No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than he emerged from the kitchen, holding a plate of pancakes.  "How 'bout some breakfast in bed?" he asked, grinning at me.

I smiled back.  "'Cept I'm not in bed."

"Close enough," he shrugged, setting the plate of pancakes on my lap.  It smelled wonderful.  

"I didn't know you could cook," I mumbled as he handed me a knife, fork, and napkin and sat down on the couch beside me. 

He laughed quietly.  "Well, now you know.  I can cook.  But whether or not it's edible is for you to decide."

The teasing tone in his voice brought a smile to my face.  There was no question that he had made these right.  I could tell just by the warm, buttery smell.  I hesitated just for effect and tried a bite, then chewed it tentatively, my eyes growing thoughtful.

"Well?" he asked hopefully.  "You like them?"

Suddenly, utilizing all of my drama skills, I gasped, dropping my fork.  It landed with a clatter on the plate, then tipped off the side onto the cushion.  I made my eyes grow wide and brought my hands to my throat, pretending to gag.  After what felt like a sufficient amount of time, I let myself grow limp, closing my eyes, trying to keep the plate balanced on my knees as I played dead.

I could almost feel his smile as he studied me.  The cushions shifted slightly as he rose and stepped carefully around the blanket which lay sprawled out on the floor.  "Shannon?" he whispered, feigning concern.  "You okay?"

I tried hard not to laugh and instead focused on remaining as still as possible.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him bend slightly and pick up the fork.  I thought I saw a glint in his eye, but I had to close mine because at that moment he stood and looked me directly in the face.

I felt the couch dip a little as he sat down on my other side, so close he was nearly sitting in my lap, and I briefly considered opening my eyes again and giving myself up.  It was obvious I didn't have him fooled and I didn't really want to find out whatever it was that he planned to do with that fork.  Before I had a chance to act on that thought, I felt something jab lightly at my side through the robe.

"Shannon?" he called again, and I bit my lip.  Now that he wanted to play games, I was definitely _not _going to give up.  He poked harder.  I cringed, trying desperately not to move.  I could almost feel his smile. 

"Hmmm... she's not breathing..." he whispered, pulling the fork away.  I felt his breath against my cheek as he leaned into me.  "Better give her mouth to mouth..."

His lips closed over mine and he exhaled a slow, steady breath into my lungs.  I accepted it, and felt his lips move slowly against mine, kissing me gently.  I remained still as his kiss deepened, then finally gave in as I felt his tongue run alongside mine.  I forgot the game, surrendering instead to the emotions he drew inside of me.  I kissed him back, and my eyes remained closed as he pulled away slowly.

"Shannon?"

I sighed deeply and opened my eyes slowly to meet him.  "Mmm?"

"Take the day off."

I blinked a few times, surprised.  "What?"

He licked my lips and kissed me again, but I hesitated.  After a moment, I pulled away.  "I can't do that," I informed him.

He smiled.  "Oh, sure you can.  Or do you need a little _prodding_?"

He jabbed at me again with the fork and I grabbed his wrist.  I couldn't hold him.  I knew that.  Even with both hands, I couldn't get the weapon away from him.  He jerked his arm back, pulling me with him and then slammed it against the sofa.  I lost my balance and fell over, laughing.  I wasn't letting go of him if my life depended on it.

He moved his other hand to my stomach and in a flash, his cool fingers were against my stomach.  "Ah!"

He tickled relentlessly and I brought my knees up to my chest, trying to shield myself.  Still, I didn't let go.  Eventually, he let me have the fork and brought both his hands down, slipping inside my robe and tickling my sides.  I kicked my feet at him until he grabbed my ankle and turned his attention to the bottom of my feet.  

I screamed, unable to stop laughing.  "Mikey, stop it!" I gasped.  "I'm gonna slap you, dammit!"

He grinned evilly at me.  "Can I pick where?"

For the instant that he was distracted, I had the advantage.  I took the opportunity to jab him lightly in the side with the fork.  He cried out sharply and fell onto his back on the floor, clutching his side as he rolled around in mock pain.

"Ow," he moaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

I glared at him as I pulled myself up to a sitting, and more dignified, position.  I pulled the robe closed over my chest, shivering at the chilly air.  "Serves you right," I smirked at him.

I stood to my feet and set the plate and fork carefully on the couch, moving to stand over him.  I shoved him with my foot, chuckling softly as he curled up even tighter.  Then suddenly he stopped moving, and I lowered my foot.  Uh oh... Did I go to far?  I didn't think I'd poked him that hard, but he'd told me before that skin was really thin and sensitive.  Maybe I really did hurt him...

I leaned down next to him, slightly concerned.  "Mike?"

Before I realized what had happened, he'd pulled me down on top of him.  My eyes went wide as I struggled instinctively against his hold on my wrists, laughing gleefully.

"Two can play at this game," he informed, eyes sparkling as he pulled me close to him.

I tried to break away, but I knew that getting away from his vise-like grip was going to be next to impossible.  He spread my arms wide apart, and I had no choice but to lay down on top of him.  He pressed his cheek against mine and blew at my hair to get it out of his face.  I decided to be nice - maybe he'd let me go - and shook my head, throwing my hair over my opposite shoulder.  He nuzzled against me and whispered in my ear again, "Take the day off."

I sighed.  "Mikey, I'll get fired."  I turned my face toward him, pulling away as far as my spread position would allow.  "Why do you want me to take the day off, anyway?  Didn't you get enough of me last night?"

He grinned up at me and shrugged.  "No, but that's besides the point."

I pulled against him again, and he let me go this time. I rested my arms on his chest, supporting my weight.  "I can't call in to work, Mike, you know that."

"Call in sick."  His voice had turned pleading.  "Or better yet, _I _can call in for you.  They'll think you've lost your voice."

I found myself laughing.  "Mike," I tried again, matching his pleading tone.

He arched his neck up and kissed my lips lightly.  "Pleeeeeeease?" he implored as he backed away, turning his best puppy dog face up at me.  

I closed my eyes and placed my hand over his face, palm down.  "Don't give me that look, Mikey, I hate it when you do that."

He actually _licked _my palm.  I jerked my hand back, surprised, and he laughed.  "Ew!"

He grabbed my shoulders as I was still trying to wipe the spit off my hand.  He shifted me underneath him, pinning me to the floor on my back, and straddled me.  I glared up at him playfully.  "Why?" I demanded.  "Why do you want me to _lie and take off work?"_

He smiled and ran his hands down to my wrists, then raised my hand toward his mouth again.  I shrieked and tried to pull away, but there was no way I was going to be able to pull away from him.  It my great relief, he kept his tongue in his mouth and instead kissed the tips of each one of my fingers, then moved down over my palm.  I relaxed as he reached my wrist and nuzzled his face in my hand as he kissed there.  "I want to show you something," he whispered.

_Well, you're certainly going about persuading me in the right way..._

I considered that for a moment.  "Something like what?"

He lowered my hand to my side again and grinned down at me.  "It's a surprise."

"If you don't tell me, I might not go."

He laughed.  "Sure you will."

"How can you be so sure?"

He nodded toward the couch.  "'Cause I made you breakfast, and I'm pleading with you in the sweetest way possible, and if you don't, I'll have to settle for staying here all day and ravaging you mercilessly."  He glanced away, thoughtful, as he considered that.  "On the other hand, that might be kinda fun..."

I shoved him back and he almost fell onto my legs.  The thought of Raphael made me pause.  I had told him to come by tonight.  I had told him Mike wouldn't be here.  But persuading him not to come back was going to be a little more difficult than I'd planned for.

"I _did _make you breakfast in bed," he reminded me again.  I glanced over at the pancakes on the couch.  Upon seeing them, I laughed.

"Looks like someone else has discovered them too," I told him, pointing.  He followed my finger, and his face broke out into a grin.  I stared at the spectacle thoughtfully.  "I didn't know Mufu liked pancakes."

Mike's eyes sparkled as he watched the orange cat who was gratefully nibbling on what was once my breakfast.  "Oh, well, I'll make some more for you then.  As long as you promise to take the day off."

He had me.  But at the same time, I knew I had him.  "Alright Mike," I relented at last, "but on several conditions."

He backed onto my legs and pulled me up to a sitting position.  One arm went behind me to support my weight and the other went to his plastron.  "What kind of conditions?"

"First," I began, "I have to be home by early evening."  Before he could cut in, I raised my finger to his lips to silence him and continued, "_and you have to promise me that you won't spend the night.  If I'm to go into work tomorrow, I want my sleep."_

He considered this, at last nodding his head in agreement.  "Alright."  He paused and studied my face thoughtfully.  "But first, there's something else I want to do."

He didn't bother to explain as he drew closer to me, running his hands up my arms.  His fingers curled around the collar of the loosened robe and pulled down slowly, pressing his lips into mine as the cool air hit my warm flesh.

Raphael:

I didn't want to be awake, but I was.  I groaned as I rolled over onto my side to look at the clock near my bed.  It read half past noon.  I moaned again and closed my eyes, willing the slight headache that was beginning to form behind them to go away.  It wasn't like I'd had that much to drink.  I had only stopped at the bar for two hours or so.

I had intended to go right home after leaving Shannon's place, but as I passed the bar on the way to the lair I figured I was gonna get it no matter what, so I had decided that a couple more hours out wouldn't hurt.  I was amazed that no one had woken up on my way in, but I figured it didn't really matter.  I knew I wouldn't get out of the lecture from Leo or maybe even Splinter.  I'd just get it first thing in the morning.  Er... afternoon. 

I sighed and turned onto my back, staring up at the ceiling.  I had already stayed in bed for a while.  Any longer, and I was just avoiding the inevitable.  Better to just get up and get this over with.  Didn't want to, though.  I turned and faced the wall, curling slightly under the warm blankets.  I was only half-conscious when the door opened, but I felt his presence anyway.  _Speak of the devil..._

"Nice of you to stop by," his voice shot through the darkness.  "It take you 'til after two in the morning to find your way home?"

I groaned inwardly, realizing that he knew I was awake.  He'd come in without even knocking.  Had I expected him to knock?  Not really.  But it pissed me off all the same.  I turned my face into the pillow.  _Maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away._

"And just where were you, at two o'clock in the morning?"

_Yeah, Raph, in your dreams._

He liked that he had a time, even though it wasn't accurate.  I'd actually been out until almost three-thirty.  "Wha'the fuck, were you waiting up f'rme?" I growled, facing away from him.  

He flicked the light on and my eyes burned.  I closed them tightly, but I couldn't block out the white-hot light.  I growled and pushed myself up from the bed, twisting around to face him.  "Damn you, Leo, get _out."_

He stood in the doorway to my room, looking like the perfect mother hen.  I needed a fucking lock on my door.  Dammit, why couldn't he just leave me alone?  But no.  He wouldn't leave until he had an answer.  _Damn him…_ "None of your goddamn business, Leo," I snarled, glaring darkly at him.  This was really getting old.

"None of my business?" he shot back, voice rising in anger.  "Like _hell it's none of my business!"_

I considered getting off the bed and killing him where he stood.  He had to put in his two cents every single damn time, even though it was the same thing every single damn time.  He wouldn't leave until he'd said it, and interrupting him would only prolong his stay. 

_Just ignore it.  Tune it out._

"You take off, telling no one where you go, and you _insist _that it's none of my business?"  I turned away, clenching my teeth.  What _I did on __my time did _not _concern him.  And the sooner he figured that out, the sooner we would find each other possible to live with. _

"Like it or not, Raphael, _whatever you do is my business, because you are a part of this family."_

I felt my muscles tense, and I bit my tongue to keep from yelling back at him.  _I might be part of this family, but I have my own life and my own decisions to make and they do not __concern you! _

"For all I know, you could be putting us in danger, and if you had any honor and any sense of responsibility at all, you'd see that what you're doing and saying is totally irrational and reckless, and I'll be _damned _if that's not my business."

That was it.  He'd pushed me too far.  I threw the blankets aside and in a flash, I was on my feet.  The world spun around me for a moment as I struggled to gain my balance.  "You have no _fucking right..."_

He smirked at me.  "Oh no, Raphael, I have _every _right.  You may not give a damn about us, but _someone _has to.  I have to protect this family from you just as much as I have to protect us against threats from the foot."

"Get the _fuck out of my room!" I yelled at him.  "Or _you're _gonna be in need of some protection!"  _Don't _think __that because I just woke up I ain't ready to take your ass down..._

He ignored me, his eyes narrowing.  He had about three seconds before I _made him get out.  "You're gonna be our death one day, you know that Raphael?"  _Two..._  "You're more of a threat to us than a help."  _One..._  "I have no idea __what Splinter ever saw in you…"_

I'd had enough.  "Fuck you, Leo!"  

I put my arms up to shove him back, but he blocked me.  Undeterred, I pulled my arm back, fully prepared to deliver a solid blow.  "Get out of my _fucking _room," I growled.  I thought better of hitting him and instead shoved him back with my free hand.  He resisted.  Bad idea.

I struck at him full force, and he deflected the blow just enough so that it hit his shoulder.  Fire blazed in his eyes.  He _wanted to fight.  Fine.  He'd damn well come to the right place.  He tried to twist his arm and lock mine underneath it, but I pulled away in time.  I ducked to avoid his straight-edge blow and took his legs out from underneath him as he fell.  He grabbed my wrists on his way down and used his legs to flip me over him.  _

I turned in mid-air to land on my back, knowing I had the least chance of getting hurt that way, no matter what I landed on.  It was the end table, and a lamp which shattered into a million pieces as it hit the floor.  The wooden table collapsed under my weight with a loud crack and before I had a chance to look up.  I grasped his shoulders as he gripped mine, and glared up at him.

"How dare you…" he hissed at me.

I brought the heel of my palm up to his jaw and heard the loud _clack! _as his teeth came together.  I grabbed his jaw and reached for the back of his head, knowing that if I could manage it, he would be forced to give up as I could snap his neck.  Right now, I wasn't so sure I'd pull short of that.

He hit my hand away and put the tips of his fingers to my throat.  He could kill me with one quick jab, but I knew he wouldn't.  And unless he wanted to, this was no threat to me.  He couldn't hurt me unless he intended to kill me.  "You know what your problem is Leonardo?" I snarled up at him.  "You just don't know when to stop."

I hit his hand away and grabbed the edge of his plastron.  I pulled him toward me to get him off balance, then used both my arms and legs to throw him to the side.  I rolled off my back and crawled to him quickly, grabbing his upper arms.  "I don't go poking around into your life, interrogating you every time you're not within a ten-inch radius of me," I continued angrily.  "I don't even go into _your room without asking permission first, not like I'd ever go _looking _for you anyway.  And you know what else Leo?"  _

He pushed me back forcefully and I crashed into the coffee table, hitting my shoulder hard on the corner.  The pain fueled the anger I felt.  That blood running down my arm was going to be accompanied by a decent-sized bruise.  It took him a minute this time to get to me, and I had all the time I needed to set up.  I flipped him over me, just like he had done to me earlier, and he crashed into the loveseat, toppling it over backward.  

I sprang to my feet, catching a glimpse of Donatello as he opened the door from his room with a confused, dreadful look on his face.  Ignoring him, I grabbed the bottom of the overturned loveseat and heaved it forward, pinning Leo in the small triangle between the floor, the arm of the chair, and the back of it.  I put my weight on it, knowing he had no _chance _of getting out from under there.  I glared down at him.  "I'm _sick _of it," I hissed at him.  "It's not my problem that you can't accept me for who I am, and just because you feel that way doesn't give you any damn right to go and try to change me.  So let me enlighten you on something, in case you haven't figured it out for yourself yet, oh wise leader: nothing you do or say is gonna make a bit of difference to me.  You ain't gonna change who I am.  And I suggest you stop trying."

No sooner had I gotten the words out than I felt Don's hands wrap around my biceps and pull me back as hard as he could.  I nearly toppled into him before I regained my balance.  I thought about fighting against him, but decided against it.  There was no need now.  I'd said all I needed to say.  Leo pushed up on the loveseat and rolled out from underneath it.  We glared at each other for a moment, but neither one of us moved.  I counted the seconds, wondering how long it would take Splinter to emerge from his room and _ream me for this.  I didn't care.  I'd made my point.  _

I jerked my arms away from Don and turned to the front door.  I didn't really know where I was going, but I knew I had to get out of here.  The door opened as I reached for it, and I stepped back, slightly surprised.  Mike almost ran me over as he stepped over the threshold, then jumped back.  "Oh!  Sorry Raph."  His eyes immediately went to the blood dripping down my arm.  "You okay?  What happened?"

He looked over my shoulder at Donatello and Leonardo.  I looked over his shoulder and my breath caught.  I blinked, not sure I believed my eyes.  I'd hit my head in that brief struggle... maybe harder than I'd thought.  I shook my head slightly, willing away the hallucination.  But my vision was as clear as ever.  I wasn't imagining it. 

_It was Her.  _

**TBC**

**LOL…suspense!  And remember…REVIEW!  That isn't a request….**

***g***


	10. The Fight

Author's Note:  OMG!  First of all, I want to say how incredibly sorry I am for making you guys wait this long, for I never had any intention to do so.  I'm not going to sit here and make excuses for you, because that's not honest—the real truth is that I've simply had no inspiration for the past months for this fic, and I was seriously considering not continuing it.  Real life has just really been weighing me down lately, with the end of high school in sight, planning for college, loads of piano work, family problems and personal difficulties…needless to say, I just haven't had the energy nor the inspiration to write.  BUT, don't worry about a thing!  This story WILL be completed, because I absolutely HATE leaving things unfinished.  I'm not going to promise quick updates, because I'd be lying to you if I did, but just know that no matter how long the wait, I am not going to leave it undone.  I thank you all for your patience, and I hope you all will understand—that is, if I have any readers left at ALL by this point!  But thank you just the same, and I sincerely apologize.  A big hug of gratitude goes out to my editor sss, for helping me get my butt in gear, TN, for her suggestions, help and encouragement, and last but certainly not least, Splinter, for her humor, support, and friendly nudging for updates.  I know I've been killing you!  And here it is, at last.  Good thing Donny's had some dry wall expertise…*g*

Chapter 10

Donatello:

I could see Raphael's muscles tense.  His body went rigid, his shoulders straightened.  The tension shot up like a rocket.  I blinked a few times, confused.  Beyond Raph, Michaelangelo seemed just as bewildered as I was.  And just as sure that there was something very wrong.  The tone of Raph's voice in and of itself hadn't begged an argument or a fight.  It was something more.  Frankly, I wasn't sure I wanted to know what. 

 __

Turning to Leonardo who was still on the floor beside the loveseat, I offered him my hand.  He took it and rose unsteadily to his feet.  "What was _that _about?" I asked him quietly, remembering for just a moment the loud arguing that had brought me out into the living room in the first place.  It wasn't uncommon for Raph and Leo to fight, but this was a little more dramatic than usual.  Leo scowled, but didn't answer.

"What.  The fuck.  Is _she doing here?"  _

Raph's low, menacing, evenly spaced words cut through my thoughts like a knife.  The fight of moments before was suddenly forgotten, replaced by the realization that a new one was about to start.  I looked back toward the door and craned my neck to see behind Michaelangelo.  He had someone with him?  I tensed just slightly.  There were strict rules about bringing guests down to the lair.  Who was _she? _

That question was surprisingly easy to answer, even before I saw her.  This was the reason for Mike's sudden change of attitude.  This was the mysterious girl, the confirmation to the conclusions that I had previously drawn.  He _was seeing someone.  And he'd brought her down to the lair._

My eyes came to rest on the girl and I studied her for a moment, well aware that I was far enough away so as not to offend her by my blatant appraisal.  She was slim, and the whiteness of her skin was a sharp contrast to the dark brown hair that swept across the tops of her shoulders.  Her eyes were a swirling, deep blue color, blanketed in a look that closely resembled panic.  My gaze locked there, and I watched her closely.  There was something very unsettling about the look hidden behind those eyes…

Okay.  So Mike had a girlfriend.  And he'd brought her down to the lair.  But that didn't explain the feeling of cold fury that had swept through the room as Raphael spoke.  Hadn't he and Mike come to a mutual understanding about this whole thing?  Why did he have a problem with her?  Did he know her?  God, I hoped she wasn't an ex-girlfriend of his or something equally as difficult to deal with.  To the best of my knowledge, Raphael hadn't _had _any girlfriends so far.  But then, with as much as he was gone, it was hard to tell.  It wasn't like I thought he'd _tell _me.

I was confused, to say the least.  But somehow, I wasn't really surprised.  I had known from the start that that there was more to this story than met the eye, although I hadn't known how complex it was going to be.  Hell, I _still didn't have a real idea yet of what I was actually dealing with here.  However, it was increasingly obvious to me, even in this space of so little time as Mike tried to find an answer, that Raphael knew her.  The question was how, and I dreaded the answer.  God, how I desperately wished that I had been able to put all the pieces into place before they came together in a whirlwind like this…_

Mike was wearing a look of surprise.  He was suddenly unsure, and equally startled as I was by Raphael's outburst.  That was not typically the way we greeted new people.  _Or old friends, _I realized painfully.  However he knew her, if indeed he did, it hadn't been a happy end to their relationship.  I would've given my right arm at that moment to have some forewarning, some idea of what was going to happen here.  I couldn't see Raphael's expression, and the confused look on Mike's face offered me no grounds for conclusion.  All I could do was wait, tensed and ready for whatever came my way.

Mikey swallowed hard and forced aside his sudden insecurity.  "Raph… this is, uh…"

_Jesus, Mike, you forget her name?_

My eyes cut to the girl and I saw her take a step back into the shadows.  Her eyes remained locked on Raphael as she backed away from both of them.  There was no chance that her uneasiness was mere shock at seeing more mutants like Michaelangelo.  She definitely knew him.  For that matter, she probably knew him _well.  I felt my own lids slide closed as the information slowly began to process and new realizations began to form.  __So much more than what meets the eye…_

Mike's stammered answer apparently wasn't enough to satisfy Raphael.  "I said, what the _fuck is she doing here!"_

Before I had even the chance to take in the screamed sentence, it concluded with a loud slam.  My eyes fluttered open and my own muscles tensed as I saw that he'd pinned Mike to the wall beside the lair door.  Michaelangelo tipped his head back instinctively, putting what few centimeters he could between himself and Raphael.  His eyes were wide as saucers, and I could tell it hadn't even crossed his mind to struggle.  I winced with sympathy pains for Mike, knowing that the grip on his arms was most likely that of iron.  He wasn't going anywhere.  At the moment, he was at his brother's mercy.  And that was a frightening thought.  My previous worry for Raph ebbed away as my only thoughts remained locked on Mike.

The girl had jumped back.  She stood now in the tunnel, well outside of the lair.  I was half expecting her to bolt, and I wouldn't blame her if she did.  _I sure as hell wouldn't want to be that close to Raphael at this point in time.  But she remained, hidden by the shadows, her eyes locked on my brothers.  For a lingering moment, no one spoke.  The only sound to cut through the tense silence was that of Raphael's heavy, enraged breathing as he stared Mike down.  He growled something too low to hear and Mike's eyes widened even bigger, a look of pure fear coming over his features.  _

I couldn't guess what was said.  I didn't really want to.  I stood still, too confused and surprised to manage speech.  It was Leo who found his voice and his feet first.  I could sense him start to move cautiously towards Raph and Mike even before I saw him, and I tensed.  For a moment, I couldn't help but think he'd gone crazy.  _You just signed your own death warrant, Leo…_

"Raph, stop this."  How Leonardo managed to throw that authoritative tone was beyond me.  I couldn't even speak, and he'd managed to revert back to his normal, determined self.  But his tone was cut short by Raph's hot, fiery one.

"Stay the fuck out of this, Leo," he growled, his voice as sharp and cold as the prongs of the _sais _he used.  "This ain't none of your goddam business."  His eyes never moved from Michaelangelo.

I felt a chill run down my spine, and feared for Mike's life.  I could count on one hand the number of times I'd heard Raphael use that tone, and it was almost always followed by blood spatter.  I could tell that Leo felt the same thing I did, for it silenced him momentarily.  He knew as well as I did that if he stepped any closer, blatantly refusing to "stay out of it," he and Raph were going to end up killing each other.  I knew I had to do something.  But there wasn't a whole lot I _could_ do.  I wasn't about to make a move on Raph.  _Maybe I should go get Splinter before someone gets hurt…_

Choosing to ignore Leonardo's presence for the time being, he turned to Mike again.  "What kind of goddamn trick are you trying to _fucking _pull?" he snarled.

Michaelangelo tried several times to answer before he managed to make a sound.  "Trick?" he stammered, his voice much quieter than Raphael's.  He swallowed hard and blinked a few times.  "I'm… not pulling anything," He dared a quick look toward the door.  "You… Splinter wanted to meet her and…I thought you…"

This statement just seemed to make Raph tense all the more, and right now I was confused beyond belief.  What _trick _could Raphael possibly be referring to?  Who was…?

And then, everything suddenly seemed clear, all the puzzle pieces slid into place, and the mere prospect that the conclusions I had reached might be true sent cold shivers up my spine.  Raph had known her.  He'd known her well, and maybe still did.  And Mike... 

Oh, _god…_

Leonardo:

I had never in all my eighteen years seen Raphael this angry and upset with Michaelangelo.  Even when we were younger, they never really fought, unless it was in jest.  But now, here, with Mike pinned to the wall in a death grip...

It had all happened in seconds, and it could very well end that way.  I still hadn't had a chance to process everything my eyes were seeing, much less _why it was happening.  I didn't know the whole story; how could I even __begin to pick sides?  But my concern for Michaelangelo had nothing to do with my agreeing or disagreeing with him.  The only thing that I was really certain of was that I was frightened for my younger brother.  I had seen that look in Raph's eyes before, heard that tone in his voice, although I'd _never_ heard it toward Mike._

Michaelangelo was terrified.  His eyes were large and I could see fear stamped clearly in their depths.  Beads of sweat stood out sharply on his forehead, and his whole body had gone rigid from shock.  My gaze drifted away from him and locked on the girl he'd brought with him.  She was cowering in the shadows, afraid.  Well, hell, I would be too.  Michaelangelo could be dead in ten different ways, if that's what Raph wanted, before any one of us had a chance to take a step toward them.  But some nagging feeling warned there was more to her fear than the obvious.  And that feeling begged the question of whether or not I wanted to get involved.  Or if I had a right to.

But now, Mike's life was practically on the line.  And regardless of the girl or what she meant to either of them, that _was _my problem.  It was my responsibility right now to make Raph think clearly, or there was going to be bloodshed.  My subconscious rolled its eyes at that thought.  _Yeah, right.  __If you knew how to do that__ we wouldn't be having __this problem...  _

Raphael would get even angrier at me if I tried to intercept him, and I knew it.  But that was a risk I had to take, hoping that he would loosen his grip on Mike's throat when he moved to attack me.  

"You _better_ tell me what the _fuck _is going on…" Raphael growled.  His low, menacing words broke the suffocating silence that was beginning to descend upon the room, and I glanced at Don to see if I could read his thoughts.  From the side, his expression was unreadable.  But he turned to face me as I watched him, and our eyes met briefly.  He was afraid.  Just as afraid as I was and maybe more so.  The look in his eyes told me he knew something I didn't.  He understood something...

I shook myself free of his gaze and turned back to the scene at hand, hoping desperately that Splinter would come into the room, already surprised that the brief racket hadn't been enough to disturb him.

"Raph…I'm _telling _you…" Mike began to protest softly again, the fear in his stance accentuating the nervousness I detected in his voice.  It was already pretty obvious to me that Raphael wasn't satisfied with whatever it was Mike was saying, and I wondered what it was that he thought Mike knew.  

_God…what is going on here?  _I could feel myself starting to go crazy from this ignorance and lack of information.  I had already sensed that Don knew more than I did; _Raph _sure as hell knew more.  My eyes flicked again to the girl and I let them stay on her for a longer moment than I had previously.  She knew too.  Mike and I were the only ones who were clueless right now.  But she was backed so far into the dark of the sewers that the blackness almost swallowed her up, and I couldn't see much of her expression.  All I could really tell was that she was frightened, though whether by the situation or Raphael's rage, I couldn't be sure. 

Everything about the way she stood spelled fear—hell, she looked almost as scared as Mike.  Her eyes were extremely large, and they were moving about the room nervously, flickering to me, to Don, but mostly remaining locked on Mike and Raph.  She rarely blinked, like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car.  She was fiddling anxiously with her hands, shifting indecisively from foot to foot.  Damn, just watching her was making _me nervous.  _

Okay.  So she probably knew more about this than anybody; maybe she even knew the whole thing.  But what it was she knew _still evaded me, and I had not come any closer to solving that puzzle by scrutinizing her._

"Yeah?" Raph growled back, his voice rising to an enraged shout.  "Well, how about you just tell me how the _hell _she got here and how the _fuck _you know her!"

I'd had enough.  I wasn't quite sure exactly what I was going to _do about it, or even what Raphael was __getting at.  But right now, the most important thing to me was Mike's safety.  And at this point, it was most certainly in jeopardy.  I stepped forward slightly, ready for World War III when I had to pry his grip off of Mike's shoulder, but stopped as I felt the presence of someone else in the room._

"Raphael!"  I breathed a _huge _sigh of relief as the authoritative voice that I knew so well cut through the tension.  "Release him."

Shannon:

Everything had happened so _fast.  One second I knew I was walking down the sewers with Mike, and the next he had thrown open some door that had been hidden in the wall and I was face to face with Raph.  Now I could do nothing except curse myself for being such a complete _idiot. __

_Great job, Shannon, _I grumbled to myself, _you've really done it this time!  Where did you _think_ he was taking you while you're walking around the sewers, a new pizza parlor?  So now what?  I had some explaining to do, and it looked like I was going to be doing it a lot sooner than I'd originally intended.  Not only to Raph, but to Mike as well.  I wasn't entirely sure which I dreaded more.  I certainly feared the thought of having to face Raphael… but I didn't want to think of how Michaelangelo would stomach the idea that the "other guy" was none other than his own brother!  __You should've told him, Shannon…  You should've told him a long time ago…_

Nothing had prepared me for the sudden threat, the way Raphael threw Mike against the wall.  I had never seen him so angry, and it frightened me.  What frightened me more was the fact that Mike didn't even know what he was being attacked for.  _But you had been warned that he had a temper, I reminded myself.  __Mike told you.  Anger, yes… but he wouldn't really hurt his own brother, would he?_

The fact that only Raphael and myself really knew why he was so angry made me realize that I had to step in.  And the rash part of me was fully prepared to go over to them, to try and explain the whole soap opera to the entire family.  But I couldn't move.  I was having a hard time breathing, and walking was certainly out of the question.  Fear had paralyzed me.  I was seriously afraid that Raphael would rip me to shreds if I so much as touched him right now.

_And you certainly deserve no better than that right now, _I reminded myself.

I was still trying to work up the nerve to speak when I sensed a new presence in the room.  I turned and jumped, surprised, as a giant rat walked into the room.  I almost laughed at my own reaction.  _Heh, remember?  Mikey's told you about him, too…_

A feeling of gratitude and relief washed over me as the command came for Raph to let his brother go.  I could feel beads of sweat on my forehead, the back of my neck, and the temperature in the room seemed to climb even higher as everyone in the room, including myself, turned to look at Raph expectantly.  I don't know if I actually expected him to obey or not, but I prayed he would.

The seconds ticked by, the tensions mounted, and fear flooded through me as I was suddenly terrified that Raph would _not release him.  What then?  Would their _sensei _step in between them?  __Could he step in?  Would it do any good?  I was about to open my mouth to plead with Raphael when he finally let go.  He let out a low growl and slowly removed his hands from his brother's shoulders, stepping back reluctantly._

His eyes flashed dangerously.  Mike's shoulders sagged.  There was a loud sigh of relief, then a long silence.  Eyes shifted to me, then back to Raphael.  The feeling of their stares did not really effect me any more than I had already _been effected.  At least, not until Raphael turned.  I gasped an audible breath in, pressing back against the wall with my fingers spread, trying to get further away from him.  _

He glared, his eyes flashing.  Anger, yes.  But also pain.  Confusion.  Guilt swept through me.  My heart broke and my knees seemed like they would give way beneath me at any moment.  I didn't breathe.  I felt as if he were staring straight into my soul, and that terrified me.  The intensity of that stare was more than enough to make my heart hammer in my ears.  

He watched me, growled something I didn't understand, then stepped toward me.  I jumped.  A million thoughts ran through my mind.  Should I scream?  Run?  Curl into a ball and try to shield myself?  I was still trying to decide what to do as he pushed past me, his arms at his sides, fists clenched, and stormed into the darkness.  He didn't touch me.  Didn't look at me.  I breathed out.  I closed my eyes.  I wished things hadn't happened this way.

Splinter:

I had known from the start that my son was not entirely truthful with me concerning his relationship with the woman who was now in our home.  In addition, a peculiar feeling of foreboding and apprehension had been ever present, though the exact reason for it had evaded me thus far.  Now, even without explanation, I was witnessing the result of things I did not understand.  

I had no understanding of the situation as a whole, but I knew that it was first and foremost dangerous.  Not only to Michaelangelo, but also to Raphael.  His quick temper impaired his thinking and caused him to act irrationally.  But this was more than a demonstration of instinct.  His wrath was intense, in such a way that I had never seen it before.  Certainly I had never seen him so angry at Michaelangelo.  Their bond had always been the strongest among the four of them, and they rarely quarreled.  Certainly not to such an extreme extent.  I did not know what had come over Raphael to cause him to act so.  This was not acceptable.  I could not have my sons living in terror of each other.    

Michaelangelo was still resting against the wall, his eyes speaking of fear.  I saw him making occasional surreptitious glances at her, as if doing so would help him uncover the reason for his brother's sudden and unexpected outburst.  It was immediately evident that he understood very little of the present situation, and he had perhaps not lied to me to such a great extent as I had first thought.  He did not understand; but from a brief look at this young woman, I felt rather certain that she understood a great deal.  Leonardo and Donatello appeared frozen in place, the shock of what had happened, and of what had just been _about to happen, seemingly preventing them from moving.  It was Leonardo who finally spoke first._

"_Sensei_," he began, and I turned to look at him.  "Do you want me to go and…"

His voice trailed off as I shook my head.  The doubtful look in his eyes told me he did not concede with me entirely, but I knew he would respect my decision.  I understood Raphael.  And I understood that he needed to be alone for some time now to collect his thoughts.  Speaking with him now would only incur more anger.

"Let him be for awhile yet, my son.  Perhaps it is best that this is done so that we achieve more in the present time."

My eyes moved to Michaelangelo again.  He was watching the woman in confusion.  "Michaelangelo, sit down," I guided gently.  "So that we all may be able to talk."

 He nodded wordlessly and stepped away from the wall.  I sighed softly and turned so that my gaze fell on the still-open door, and the young woman that had been forgotten for the moment as she stood in the shadows of the sewers.

"Come here, my child," I beckoned, smiling encouragingly at her.  

She gave a nervous smile, and as she stepped toward me, I noticed her slender form trembling ever so slightly.  Not wanting to intimidate her and keep her from speaking, I held my small smile as she moved to sit down upon the loveseat positioned across from the couch where my three sons were now sitting.  It was positioned akwardly, and had recently been moved.  I chose not to mention it. 

I remained standing so that I could see everything.  I noticed Michaelangelo looking at her more openly, seemingly not caring now who saw.  It pained me to see the intense battle of emotions playing across his face, the grief, hurt, and bitterness that clouded his eyes.  Such emotions were not like him to possess.  

Leonardo and Donatello sat respectively, waiting for me to speak again.  I was just about to open my mouth to begin, and I was a little startled when she took the initiative and spoke first.  "I am so sorry," she apologized quickly, her voice choked.  Her head was lowered slightly so that her brown hair fell forward, concealing her eyes.  "This whole thing is all my fault."

"What do you mean by that, Shannon?" I replied gently.

She raised her head then, a curious look in her eyes, and inquired, "You know my name?"

I smiled.  "Yes.  I have been told of you."

Shannon gave me a weak smile in return.  "Raph and Mike spoke to you of me then?"

I blinked.  This news was new to me.  I had known that Raphael was seeing someone, but he had never offered information about her in the way that Michaelangelo had, and from the reactions of my sons, I could easily see that it was new to them as well.  Michaelangelo's head snapped up, and I saw his muscles visibly tighten.  His eyes flashed for a moment with something akin to anger as he struggled with the information he had just been given.  Leonardo's jaw went taught and his eyes narrowed and darkened, but I could also see a speck of worry imbedded in them as well.  Donatello watched silently, seemingly unaffected.  But I could see the flicker of emotion in his eyes.  Not surprise.  Perhaps dread, or something very near to it.

  "Michaelangelo has told of you to me, yes," I answered, "but I have not heard Raphael mention your name."

The slight jolt that ran through her showed that this information slightly shocked her, although she quickly tried to hide it.  "He didn't?"

I shook my head, a sad look in my eyes.  "No, he did not, my dear.  So how about you tell us the whole story, from the very beginning?"

**TBC…**

**Review please?**

***puppy dog eyes***


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